Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support consumers who want to buy electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: Grants to reduce the upfront purchase price of electric vehicles (EVs) have been in place for over a decade and continue to support the purchase of plug-in vans, taxis, trucks, motorbikes and wheelchair accessible vehicles. In addition, the Government offers grants to offset the cost of EV chargepoints in flats and rental accommodation, as well as businesses. The UK EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy (published 25 March 2022) sets out the Government’s vision and commitments to make EV charging cheaper and more convenient than refuelling at a petrol station. Whilst it is expected that the majority of EV drivers will continue to charge at home, the Government will continue to work with local authorities and the private sector to ensure that public chargepoints are in place to support consumers without off-street parking and to enable long distance journeys. The Government intends to lay legislation in the coming months to improve the consumer experience when using public chargepoints in the UK. This includes ensuring there is a 99 per cent reliability standard for all rapid chargepoints and mandating open data so they are easy to find on maps and apps.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the average cost of installing an electric vehicle chargepoint.

Jesse Norman: There are a variety of factors which affect the cost of installing an electric vehicle chargepoint. These include but are not limited to:the type of chargepoint installed,the requirement of upgrades to the electricity system,labor costs in the area.Given these factors, an average cost of installation may not be representative of an individual cost of installation.In May 2022, Ricardo Energy & Environment published a report, commissioned by the Climate Change Committee, looking at costs and impacts of on-street charging. This report provides an overview of the costs associated with installing several different chargepoint types, ranging from a total of £1,025 for a home charger to £138,250 for a 150kW rapid charger.

Bus Services

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to Local Authorities to help them achieve their public transport objectives for bus services.

Mr Richard Holden: The Government is providing over £1billion to 34 local transport authorities (LTAs), including combined authorities, to support the delivery of their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs). Additionally, over £780m has been allocated through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) that will directly fund bus infrastructure.  In addition, £23m bus capacity funding was allocated to all LTAs in 2021/22 to support the development and delivery of their BSIPs and Enhanced Partnerships. A further £11m has been provided in 2022/23 for those LTAs that did not receive BSIP funding. Since 1 January, the majority of single bus journeys in England outside London have been capped at £2 thanks to Government support via the Bus Fare Cap Grant. The initial phase of the scheme, through to 31 March, is backed by up to £60 million. On 17 February, we announced that we will provide up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap until 30 June 2023. We also announced a further, three-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG) to continue protecting vital bus services until 30 June 2023. This takes total Government funding that has been provided to over £2bn in emergency and recovery funding to the sector since March 2020 to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. The Government pays over £200 million directly to bus operators every year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to help keep fares down and maintain a larger network than would otherwise be possible. The Government also provides £42 million annually in BSOG funding to Local Transport Authorities.

Bus Services: Suffolk

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help improve bus services in Suffolk.

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for bus services in Suffolk.

Mr Richard Holden: The Government pays over £200 million directly to bus operators every year through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to help keep fares down and maintain a larger network than would otherwise be possible. The Government also provides £42 million annually in BSOG funding to Local Transport Authorities, of which Suffolk County Council receives almost £615,000, to fund socially necessary bus services. Since 1 January, the majority of single bus journeys in England outside London have been capped at £2 thanks to Government support via the Bus Fare Cap Grant. The initial phase of the scheme, through to 31 March, is backed by up to £60 million. On 17 February, we announced that we will provide up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap until 30 June 2023 This takes total Government funding to over £2 billion in emergency and recovery funding to Local Transport Authorities and bus operators since March 2020, of which Suffolk County Council has been allocated over £5 million. This is in addition to the funding we have provided directly to bus operators to maintain bus services through this route. Suffolk County Council has also been allocated £824,737 in capacity and capability funding for bus service improvements for the period 2021/22 to 2024/25. This funding is intended to support them with employing dedicated resource for the next three years to help deliver their Bus Service Improvement Plans and Enhanced Partnerships.

Electric Scooters

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment with the Minister for Women and Equalities of the potential merits of requiring e-scooters to use a single generic sound for an audio vehicle alert to help support people who are visually impaired.

Jesse Norman: The Department has put in place measures to improve safety for disabled people and people with sight loss, such as requiring ​all e-scooters in trials to have a bell or a horn so that they are audible. In addition, some operators in trial areas are testing Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVASs). These systems generate sound for electric vehicles to improve the safety of vulnerable road users. I recently visited UCL’s PEARL (Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory) where e-scooter AVAS testing is taking place, to learn more about the potential merits of this technology. The Department will continue to work directly with groups representing individuals who are visually impaired, to review options for regulations; and it will consult publicly before any new arrangements come into force.

Electric Scooters

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact of e-scooter policies on people with sight loss and other disabilities.

Jesse Norman: Rental e-scooter trials were launched in July 2020 in 32 areas across England. The Department for Transport commissioned an independent evaluation of the e-scooter trials, covering data up to December 2021. The evaluation examines how and why rental e-scooters are used, and by whom, as well as safety, mode shift, environmental and wider social impacts. From the key findings, the majority of residents saw the introduction of e-scooters in their area as positive. Some members of the public raised concerns about the behaviour displayed by riders, with pavement riding causing particular concern among pedestrians with mobility issues and blind or partially sighted individuals. The findings have already been used to inform updates in guidance and regulation of the e-scooter trials and will continue to be used to inform future e-scooter policy. The Department will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders representing the needs of blind and visually impaired people, including through a public consultation, before any new arrangements come into force.

Bicycles and Electric Vehicles: Safety

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential risks to safety of trends in the level of fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport is working with the industry and across Government to understand the prevalence and causes of fires involving lithium-ion batteries used in e-cycles and e-scooters. This is with a view to publishing guidance on safety at a later date.

Bicycles and Electric Vehicles: Safety

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce legislative proposals which regulate the safety of (a) e-bikes and (b) e-scooters.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to prevent dockless rental bikes and e-scooters from being abandoned on pathways and roadways.

Jesse Norman: When parliamentary time allows, we intend to regulate e-scooters. This will require setting robust technical requirements and clear expectations on users. No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters, and we will consult before any new arrangements come into force. The Department has no plans to introduce legislative proposals to regulate safety for e-cycles.  Also, when parliamentary time allows, the Department intends to introduce a rental framework which will allow local transport authorities to manage rental services of cycles, e-cycles and e-scooters, so that fleet sizes and parking can all be kept under local control.

High Speed 2 Line

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to approve the final business case for HS2 Phase 2a.

Huw Merriman: Spades are already in the ground on Phase 2a of the programme with utility diversions and environmental works already underway. HS2 and the Department continue to progress HS2 Phase 2a design work and the Full Business Case will be approved in due course.

High Speed 2 Line

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to appoint the design delivery partner for Phase 2a of HS2.

Huw Merriman: The Invitation to Tender for the HS2 Phase 2a Design and Delivery Partner was published on 13 January 2022 and the contract will be awarded in due course.

High Speed 2 Line: Tree Planting

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to assess the best species of trees to plant near the proposed HS2 line between London and Solihull.

Huw Merriman: HS2 Ltd has committed to planting extensive areas of woodland for landscape mitigation, replacement planting and ecological habitat creation. Planting is designed to reflect and complement local areas and species to help integrate the railway design into the landscape. The HS2 Plant Procurement Strategy was developed in collaboration with various key stakeholders including the Woodland Trust. Consultation with the Forestry Commission has defined local provenance and incorporates seed gathered from up to five degrees south of planting locations to help build-in greater resilience to climate change, with seeds and plants subject to biosecurity measures. Over 40 different species of shrubs and trees will be used, providing HS2 Ltd with a range of plants which can be tailored for local planting.

Bus Services: Disability

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2021 to Question 34069 on Bus Services: Disability Aids, what progress the Government has made on the commitment to introduce regulations requiring bus companies to provide audible and visual announcements onboard their services in Great Britain, which had been planned to be laid before the House by Summer 2022.

Mr Richard Holden: We committed in the 2021 National Bus Strategy to introduce the Accessible Information Regulations, subject to final analysis.We are now in the final stages of preparation to publish the response to the 2018 Accessible Information consultation, and introduce the Accessible Information Regulations.

Bus Services: Fares

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 February 2023 on Bus Funding Update, UIN HCWS567, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of bus fare caps on local tram operations.

Mr Richard Holden: The £2 Bus Fare Cap is a targeted cost of living intervention and it is intended to help those who need it most. This will benefit mainly those from a lower socio-economic background who are more reliant on buses for travel

Bus Services: Nottingham

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 February 2023, HCWS567, how much and what proportion of funding will be allocated to (a) bus operators and (b) local transport authorities operating services in Nottingham City.

Mr Richard Holden: Under the extension to the Bus Recovery Grant and £2 Bus Fare Cap, up to £155m in additional funding has been made available to the bus sector. Funding is paid to both commercial bus operators and Local Transport Authorities. The majority of funding in both schemes is paid to commercial operators, and the amount each individual operator receives is commercially sensitive. Funding allocations provided to Local Transport Authorities under both of these grants will be confirmed to them in due course. Once these allocations have been confirmed, Local Transport Authorities are free to publish this information.  Nottingham City Council and Nottingham County Council have been paid over £5.5m and almost £3m respectively in additional funding since March 2020 to support services through the pandemic, and then into the recovery phase.

Speed Limits: Rural Areas

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to review the speed limits for rural roads.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department has no current plans to review the national speed limits.Traffic authorities already have the power to set speed limits on the roads for which they are responsible, and the Department has published guidance designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and conditions.

Roads: Accidents

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of road traffic collisions that are attributable to insomnia.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department produces statistics on personal injury road collisions based on data reported by the police using the STATS19 system. This does not record the number of collisions attributable to insomnia, but does record those where fatigue was assigned as a contributory factor.The number of injury collisions in Great Britain where a police officer attended the scene and allocated the contributory factor ‘fatigue’ to one of the participants was 1,195 in 2021, and this was 2% of the total.

Bus Services: Fares

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people can travel affordably on bus services.

Mr Richard Holden: The Government recognises the importance of affordable public transport. While decisions on the level of fares are for commercial operators, the Government recognised in the National Bus Strategy the need to make bus services cheaper. The Government is providing £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March 2023. On 17 February, we announced up to £75 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap for another three months until 30 June 2023. The Government is also providing over £1 billion to 34 local transport authorities, including combined authorities, to support the delivery of their Bus Service Improvement Plans to make bus services cheaper, better and more accessible.

Ferries: Conditions of Employment

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether seafarers working on ferry services between ports in the south of England and ports in (a) Jersey and (b) Guernsey will be eligible for protections under the policy entitled Nine-point plan for seafarers – our commitments to protect seafarers, published 6 July 2022.

Mr Richard Holden: The Seafarers’ Wages Bill is a key strand in the Nine-Pont Plan for seafarer protections and will ensure that seafarers with close ties to the UK, working aboard services in scope of the Bill and do not qualify for the UK National Minimum Wage, are paid a fair wage. It will apply to services calling at UK ports from a place outside the UK at least once every 72 hours, which equates to 120 times a year, and access to UK ports will be conditional on operators demonstrating that they will be paying at least an equivalent to the UK National Minimum Wage to their seafarers whilst in UK waters. This would include services calling from Jersey and Guernsey whilst in UK territorial waters, provided that they meet the frequency threshold. We have also begun engaging with Jersey and Guernsey on how we can improve seafarer welfare and to explore the creation of minimum wage equivalent corridors.

A5: Leicestershire

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government’s commitment to improve transport infrastructure in the East Midlands, if he will take steps to ensure that improvements to the A5 in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth constituency are included in those works.

Mr Richard Holden: Government is committed to level up transport infrastructure across the country, including the East Midlands. Whilst I cannot commit to including improvements to the A5 in Leicestershire and Bosworth at this stage, I can reassure my honourable friend that options for the A5 Hinckley to Tamworth scheme continue to be developed by National Highways as part of the pipeline of schemes being developed for the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). Decisions on the overall balance of the Investment Plan for RIS3, and schemes included within it will not be confirmed until the final RIS is published in 2024.

Cycling and Walking: Finance

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons local authorities are unable to receive a multi-year funding settlement for Active Travel Fund 4; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport is currently undertaking a post-Autumn Statement business planning process to determine future budgets for the 2023/24 financial year and onwards. Active Travel Fund 4 was therefore launched as a one-year fund for 2022/23 to ensure that Local Authorities are not delayed in delivering active travel infrastructure. The Department will explore options for a multi-year funding round once future active travel budgets are decided.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 141634 on Wind Power: Seas and Oceans, whether the Government holds any information on non-UK flagged vessels specifically operating in the offshore wind sector.

Mr Richard Holden: As per previous answers to Questions 141634 and 149653, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) does not hold registration data for non-UK Flagged vessels specifically operating in the offshore wind sector.

Motor Vehicles: Ukraine

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of temporary importation of vehicles into the UK by Ukrainian refugees, if he will make it his policy that vehicle safety compliance is conducted through the MOT inspection process for all vehicles being imported on a temporary basis.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of temporary importation of vehicles into the UK by Ukrainian refugees, if he will make it his policy to waive the need to replace the speedometer under the GB Conversion IVA certificate process.

Mr Richard Holden: Legislation requires imported vehicles submitted for licensing and registration (which are less than 10 years old) to undergo an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) inspection, as well as an MOT. The IVA for personal imports is already a lighter touch than that for commercial imports, and I have instructed DVSA to provide easements to minimise the burden for Ukrainian refugees whilst maintaining safety.Legislation requires a speedometer on a vehicle registered in UK to be capable of reading in miles per hour (mph). Many vehicles can show speed which can be changed by the user (or their garage) between mph and kph. Other vehicles can be modified by the addition of a simple mph scale.

Motor Vehicles: Ukraine

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of temporary importation of vehicles into the UK, if he will make it his policy for Ukrainian refugees to be treated in the same way as other temporary overseas residents, such as overseas students, in respect of exemption from permanent vehicle import and registration processes.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department made a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of (a) driver licensing and (b) vehicle registration requirements on (i) Ukrainian nationals with refugee status and (ii) other temporary overseas visitors resident in the UK.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date his Department agreed its policy that Ukrainian refugees would be required to follow permanent vehicle importation processes for temporary stays in the UK of between six months and three years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government has taken to coordinate policy on supporting Ukrainian refugees driving in the UK as temporary residents in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Richard Holden: In recognition of the challenges their country faces in the fight against Russian aggression, it is my intention, wherever possible, to treat Ukrainian refugees as favourably as possible, rather than in the same way as other temporary residents.Foreign registered vehicles brought temporarily into the UK by non-UK residents must generally be registered with the DVLA and issued with UK number plates to enable enforcement and ensure compliance with relevant legislation.In November this Department and associated agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA) acknowledged the unique nature of Ukrainians arrival in the UK and made provision to allow some temporary modifications to be made to vehicles, within existing legislation, in certain circumstances where an IVA is required, for example by allowing the use of beam deflector stickers. This decision was made to balance Ukrainians’ unique circumstances, whilst importantly ensuring road safety for all other drivers and road users. Dedicated Department for Transport (DfT) personnel have also been assigned to support Ukrainians who wish to register their vehicle, and the DfT has published detailed guidance to clearly outline the process. The dedicated resource can be accessed by contacting DVLA, DVSA or VCA as appropriate depending on the nature of the enquiry and as outlined in the guidance.My Department continues to explore options for how it can support the Ukrainian community in the UK, and officials are also working across Whitehall to identify action that can be taken in relation to temporary admission and vehicle registration.With regards to Driving licenses, my Department is exploring options to enable those Ukrainians that fled here to be able to continue to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer, and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the fixed penalty notice fine for idling car engines.

Mr Richard Holden: All fixed penalty notices are periodically considered to ensure they remain appropriate. With idling car engines, Local Authorities are encouraged to adopt an educational approach to change driver behaviour, alongside considering enforcement via use of FPNs.

Driving Licences

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of overseas nationals and UK driver’s licences, what his Department’s policy is for (a) Ukrainian refugees and (b) other temporary overseas residents on the requirements to exchange non-GB licences for DVLA-issued licences.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport appreciates the unique circumstances that Ukrainians who have come to the UK find themselves in and is exploring options to enable this group to use their Ukrainian driving licences for longer and minimise the administrative burden they face and will keep this House and the Ukrainian community in the UK updated on this work.

Department for Transport: Disability

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps they have taken to operate a disability confident scheme for those seeking promotion in their Department; and how many and what proportion of those candidates who declared themselves as having a disability and who applied under the scheme were (a) interviewed and (b) promoted in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport is a ‘Disability Confident Leader’ in the Disability Confident Scheme which is the highest of the three levels of commitment to the scheme. In addition to taking steps such as providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, the Department provides leadership in supporting the scheme, reports on disability, mental health and wellbeing and has undergone a rigorous validation process. The data available to the Department shows that around 10% of internal applicants since 1 May 2022 applied under the scheme, with a similar level of representation at interview stage.

Railways: Wales

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether there are plans to adapt the Integrated Rail Plan forward programme to include consequential funding for Wales under the Barnett formula.

Huw Merriman: The Barnett formula is a matter for the Treasury. The Barnett formula applies to changes in UK Government departments’ funding and has been applied in the usual way, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy, in relation to funding for the IRP.The Government has committed to delivering the IRP as set out in November 2022. The plans set out in the IRP will bring benefits to Wales including making it easier for passengers from North Wales to access HS2 services.

TransPennine Express

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to make a decision on the future of the rail contract with TransPennine Express.

Huw Merriman: TransPennine Express’ (TPE’s) current contract expires on 28 May 2023. The Department in partnership with Transport for the North will make an announcement in due course.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Recruitment

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office has not spent any money on recruitment consultants in the last three years.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Recruitment

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.

Mr Steve Baker: The amount spent by the Department on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years was: 2019-20 - £31,380 2020-21 - £10,395 2021-22 - £42,336

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) closure and (b) reduction of mental health hubs for NHS staff on levels of staff mental health.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Temporary Employment

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the financial cost of agency, bank, and other temporary staffing costs at NHS and NHS foundation trusts (a) in total and (b) broken down by trust in 2021-2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Vacancies

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of social care staff required to deliver on the priorities set out in People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Vacancies

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle vacancies in the social care workforce.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the total number of units of dental activity conducted for NHS patients in England in each of the past five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the total number of patients treated by dentists on the NHS in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Suicide

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department will provide for the suicide prevention strategy.

Maria Caulfield: We have committed to publish a new national suicide prevention strategy later this year and are engaging widely across the sector to understand what further action we can take to reduce suicides amongst different groups. We will publish the new strategy this year. We are already investing an additional £57 million in suicide prevention from 2019/20 to 2023/24 through the NHS Long Term Plan. Through this, all areas of the country are seeing investment to support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services.

Department of Health and Social Care: Staff

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total number of full-time equivalent staff employed by his Department was in (a) 2022 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS England: Staff

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the NHS in England was in (a) 2022 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Private Sector

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to trusts on the promotion of private healthcare to NHS patients.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Infant Mortality

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce baby loss.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) reduce and (b) improve bereavement support for families impacted by baby loss.

Maria Caulfield: Since 2010, the stillbirth rate has reduced 19.3%, the neonatal mortality rate for babies born over the 24-week gestational age of viability has reduced by 36%, and the proportion of babies born preterm has reduced from 8% in 2017 to 7.7% in 2021. Where progress to reduce adverse outcomes has been slower, we have introduced several targeted interventions to accelerate progress, such as the introduction of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle and the Brain Injury Reduction Programme.In 2022, the Government announced a £127 million investment into the maternity system in 2022 to help increase the National Health Service maternity workforce and improve neonatal care. The Department also announced as part of the Women’s Health Strategy that it would work to introduce pregnancy loss certificates in England for those impacted by baby loss.The Government funded the Stillbirths and Neonatal Death charity to work with other baby loss charities and Royal Colleges to produce and support the roll-out of a National Bereavement Care Pathway. The pathway covers a range of circumstances of a baby loss including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, neonatal death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. As of 1 January 2023, 108 NHS England trusts (84%) have committed to adopting the nine NBCP standards.

Department of Health and Social Care: Disability

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps they have taken to operate a disability confident scheme for those seeking promotion in their Department; and how many and what proportion of those candidates who declared themselves as having a disability and who applied under the scheme were (a) interviewed and (b) promoted in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Obesity: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle levels of obesity; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing an obesity strategy.

Neil O'Brien: The Government published its obesity strategy in July 2020. On what steps we are taking, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 6 February 2023 to Question 137874 and 20 February 2023 to Question 143770. We will continue to follow the evidence and consider what more we can do.

NHS Trusts: Debts

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of NHS and NHS foundation trusts in financial deficit in 2021-2022.

Will Quince: The Department has set out in its Annual Report and Accounts 2021/22 the following table which shows the number of National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts in a financial deficit position in each financial year. The table shows that at the end of the financial year 2021/22, 24 of 215 trusts were in a financial deficit position. 2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/22Gross Deficit(2,433)(2,755)(1,560)(158)(126)Gross Surplus1,3371,889567363442Adjustments10539323450240Net (Deficit) / Surplus(991)(827)(670)655556Number of trusts in deficit101107534224Number of trusts in surplus / balance133123173177191 Note: Other adjustments relate to minor reporting adjustments relating to differences between control totals and reported surplus/(deficit), where reported surplus/(deficit) includes items such as donated asset income and depreciation, changes in provisions discount rates and prior period adjustments not included in control totals.

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust: Cybersecurity

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on delivery of patient care of the recent cyber incident affecting Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust.

Will Quince: Following the recent cyber attack on Advanced, a supplier of digital systems to health and care organisations, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust has reconnected to Advanced systems. At present, no significant patient or service user harm arising from this incident has been reported in either health or social care. Though investigations are ongoing, it appears that the enactment of business continuity plans combined with the dedication of staff has largely acted to keep patients safe. It is the responsibility of individual trusts to conduct post-incident reviews of their response and business continuity plans, assess any clinical impact and report any patient harm. NHS England are using data from individual organisations to feed into a national assessment.

Air Pollution: Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department takes to monitor air quality; and what assessments his Department makes of the effect of air quality on (a) cardio-respiratory and (b) vascular health.

Neil O'Brien: The Environment Agency manages the United Kingdom’s national air quality monitoring sites on behalf of Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Devolved Administrations. There are around 300 Environment Agency managed air quality monitoring sites across the UK.In 2018, UK Health Security Agency published an estimation of the potential health burden and costs to the National Health Service and social care system arising due to diseases related to air pollution. The model found that reducing fine particulates in England by 1 µg/m3 could prevent an estimated 50,900 cases of coronary heart disease, 16,500 stroke strokes and 9,300 cases of asthma by 2035 across England.In 2022, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants published a report suggesting possible links between air pollution and dementia. It is known that small particles can affect the heart and blood vessels, including to the brain.

Department of Health and Social Care: Minimum Wage

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has contracted work to a business named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last three years.

Will Quince: The Department has contracts with two companies, Mitie Limited and Hays Specialist Recruitment, from the list of 208 named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last three years.

General Practitioners: Contracts

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2023 to Question 133712 on General Practitioners: Contracts, in what format the data is held on the number of GP service contracts that have been handed back in each year since 2018.

Neil O'Brien: With reference to Question 133712, the format the data is held in is the number of general practice closures due to contractor notice across England for the financial year 2017/2018 and 2018/2019. It is not broken down by contract type.

Social Services: Vacancies

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of NHS workforce vacancies on the social care workforce.

Will Quince: No assessment has been made.

Public Health: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing multiple year funding allocations for public health.

Neil O'Brien: We will announce the 2023/24 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities shortly, and in doing so we will consider the merits of issuing single and multi-year allocations within the Spending review period up to 2024/25.

NHS: Managers

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his role is in (a) suspending or (b) removing poorly performing NHS and NHS foundation trust board Chief Executives and Chairs.

Will Quince: The NHS Oversight Framework details the overall principles, responsibilities and ways of working for oversight, including the key metrics and factors NHS England will consider when determining support needs, and the circumstances in which it considers formal regulatory intervention may be necessary to address particular issues with integrated care boards, National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts.My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care maintains powers to intervene where there are significant issues with appointed leaders. The Health and Care Act 2022 provides a new duty for NHS England to inform my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care where it considers that my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care ought to make an ‘Intervention’ or ‘Default’ order in relation to an NHS trust. A Default order, where deemed necessary, removes a Chair immediately from post and an Intervention Order, Chair and Board members.

Air Pollution

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on air quality.

Neil O'Brien: We have had no recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on air quality. There is ongoing collaborative work across Government on both outdoor and indoor air quality.

Electronic Cigarettes: Regulation

Ben Everitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to recent reports on e-cigarette manufacturers overfilling e-cigarette devices, if he will bring forward changes to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 to increase penalties on manufacturers found to be in breach of those regulations.

Neil O'Brien: There are no current plans to increase the penalties beyond those set out in regulation 51 of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

Public Health: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his plans are for the level of funding for public health in future years; and if he will make it his police to ensure that funding is increased by at least the rate of inflation in 2023.

Neil O'Brien: We will announce the 2023/24 Public Health Grant allocations to local authorities shortly.

Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health in the debate on Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry on 31 January 2023, Official Report, column 46WH, when he will decide whether the level of staff engagement will require the non-statutory independent inquiry into Essex Partnership University Trust to become a statutory inquiry.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health in the debate on Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry on 31 January 2023, Official Report, column 46WH, what level of staff engagement with the non-statutory independent inquiry into Essex Partnership University Trust would he consider to be satisfactory.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health in the debate on Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry on 31 January 2023, Official Report, column 46WH, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of converting the non-statutory independent inquiry into Essex Partnership University Trust into a statutory inquiry.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health in the debate on Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry on 31 January 2023, Official Report, column 46WH, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) level of engagement with affected families by and (b) other aspects of the non-statutory independent inquiry into Essex Partnership University Trust

Neil O'Brien: The participation of families and staff is enormously helpful to the work of the Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry, and we are grateful to all those who have provided evidence to date. The Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has assured the Department of the Trust’s support for the Inquiry. Since discussions took place in early January with the Chief Executive of the Trust, the Trust has been taking action to encourage staff participation. While the Inquiry has had evidence from many families, some have not engaged with the inquiry from the outset. A non-statutory inquiry remains the most effective way to get to the truth of what happened, but we must make this approach work and exhaust all possible solutions. If, however, staff engagement remains very poor, and the Inquiry remains unable to access relevant records, this position will be reviewed. Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Inquiry and with NHS England colleagues who are working closely with the Trust.

Health Services: Finance

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February to Question 147378 on Health Services: Finance, whether he plans to publish a breakdown of how this funding will be spent when it is possible to do so.

Will Quince: There is currently no plan to publish a breakdown of this spending.

Air Pollution: Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve indoor air quality; and what assessment he has made of the main risks of poor indoor air quality to health.

Neil O'Brien: There is ongoing collaborative work across Government on both outdoor and indoor air quality. In 2019 the Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop guidance on indoor air pollution. The guidelines, published in January 2020, were deigned to raise awareness of the importance of good air quality in people's homes and how to achieve this and focused on interventions to change the structure of, ventilation of, and materials used in new and existing homes. The guidelines are available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng149The Department is leading a review of existing guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould in homes and will develop new consolidated guidance tailored to the rented housing sector.The Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022 focused on air pollution and includes an assessment of the evidence on health risks associated with poor indoor air quality. The report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2022-air-pollution

General Practitioners

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of GP appointments were for minor ailments in (a) England (b) each NHS England region and (c) in each former Clinical Commissioning Group, in each year since 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally.

General Practitioners: Warwick and Leamington

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GPs were registered and practising full time in Warwick and Leamington constituency in (a) May 2010 and (b) February 2023.

Neil O'Brien: Data is not held for May 2010 or February 2023. The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice in Warwick and Leamington constituency in December 2016 and December 2022.DateDoctors in general practice, FTEDecember 201667.8December 202295.5Notes:It is not recommended that comparisons be made between quarterly or monthly figures (e.g. Mar 16 to Sept 16) due to the unknown effect of seasonality on workforce numbers. We have therefore provided a comparison for the same month in the earliest and latest comparable data available.Data does not include estimates for practices that did not provide fully valid staff records.FTE refers to the proportion of full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours (37.5), 0.5 that they worked half time. In GPs in Training Grade contracts 1 FTE = 40 hours and in these FTEs have been converted to the standard wMDS measure of 1 FTE = 37.5 hours for consistency.Figures shown do not include staff working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres including drug rehabilitation centres, walk-in centres and other alternative settings outside of traditional general practice such as urgent treatment centres and minor injury units.Practices were mapped to the constituency using the postcode as recorded by the NHS Organisational Data Service and the August 2022 National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL).

Health: Disadvantaged

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to publish a replacement of the Health Disparities White Paper.

Neil O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Battersea on 26 January to question 128715.

Prescription Drugs

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prescriptions were issued to treat patients with minor ailments in each year since 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally.

Cancer: Health Services

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce care disparities for different cancer types.

Helen Whately: Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to helping achieve the NHS Long-Term Plan ambition of diagnosing 75% of patients at an early stage by 2028 and reducing inequalities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.Reducing variation in cancer treatment is a strategic priority for the NHS Cancer Programme. The NHS Cancer Programme has commissioned five new cancer clinical audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. The Royal College of Surgeons began work on this audit in October last year with the first outcomes expected in 2023/24. The audits will cover ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer and primary and metastatic breast cancer.

General Practitioners: Warwick and Leamington

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GPs in Warwick and Leamington constituency retired from their practices in (a) 2012 and (b) 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The data requested is not held centrally.

Dental Services: Schools

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing free dental check-ups in schools.

Neil O'Brien: In England there is no national programme of routine dental checks in schools. This is because the UK National Screening Committee advised in 2006 that population screening for dental disease in children aged six to nine years old should be discontinued as it was ineffective. A review in 2013 upheld this recommendation which is available at the following link:https://legacyscreening.phe.org.uk/dental

Health Services: Men

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2023 to Question 125326 on Health Services: Males, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the lessons that can be learned from the men's health strategy implemented in Australia.

Neil O'Brien: No such assessment is planned at present. We look to learn lessons from international comparators in the course of policy making.

Earwax: Medical Treatments

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure every GP in England is able to offer an earwax removal service as a routine procedure.

Neil O'Brien: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance no longer advising manual ear syringing due to risks associated, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection. NICE guidance suggests alternative arrangements for treatment of excessive ear wax, such as considering ear irrigation using an electronic irrigator, micro suction, or another method of earwax removal (such as manual removal using a probe).General practitioner services follow this guidance and are increasingly recommending self-care methods as the primary means to support the safe removal of ear wax, such as in cases of deafness.Commissioners should ensure that there is appropriate access to ear wax removal services which are free at the point of use, where these are necessary and clinically appropriate for a patient.

Pharmacy: Opening Hours

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing 100-hour pharmacies increased flexibility in their opening hours.

Neil O'Brien: There is currently no legal mechanism for NHS England to agree a reduction to the contractual commitment for the contractors that entered the market under the previous exemption from the market entry rules on the condition that they open for 100 hours a week. A range of evidence of pressures on community pharmacies, including 100-hour pharmacies, has been presented by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). We continue to consult the PSNC on what proportionate action we can take balancing the need for patient access to pharmaceutical services and the ability of businesses to provide those services.

Pharmacy: Recruitment and Training

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure more pharmacists are (a) trained and (b) recruited.

Neil O'Brien: Health is a devolved matter and Health Education England is the national leadership organisation for education, training and workforce development in the health sector in England.The number of pharmacy training places annually is uncapped. In England, each year around 2,500 pharmacists enter training and the net increase in pharmacists practicing has increased by around 1,400 per year since 2016.Health Education England is implementing reforms to the initial education and training of pharmacists and developing cross-sector clinical placements to enable pharmacists to play a greater clinical role across the health system. The Department has also added pharmacy students to the list of professionals eligible for the Education and Training tariff to fund clinical placements from 1 September 2022.

Lung Diseases: Screening

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) a list of all Targeted Lung Health Check sites operating in England and (b) the number of CT scans delivered at each site in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many invitations have been issued for Targeted Lung Health Checks in each of the last 12 months for which data is available; and what proportion of those invitations are taken up by patients.

Helen Whately: The information requested is not held centrally.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the target of achieving 75% of cancer diagnoses at stages 1 and 2 by 2028.

Helen Whately: Achieving earlier and faster diagnosis of cancer is a priority for the National Health Service. That is why one of the core ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan is to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. The latest published data shows this was at 52% between January 2020 to December 2020.NHS England’s comprehensive Early Diagnosis strategy is based on six core strands of activity, from raising awareness of cancer symptoms and encouraging people to come forward, to implementing targeted interventions for particular cancer types that we know have previously experienced later stages of diagnosis.

Care Workers: Migrant Workers

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to decrease the time it takes for sponsorship licences to be issued to immigrant care workers.

Helen Whately: Adult social care providers who wish to sponsor international workers under the Health and Care Visa can apply for a sponsorship licence. Individual workers then need to apply for a visa once they have a job offer from a licensed sponsor. The Home Office is currently providing decisions on sponsorship licences in five weeks against an eight week service standard.The Department is supporting the adult social care sector on international recruitment. This includes providing £15 million to help areas establish local support arrangements, which can include support for the sponsorship licence application process. The Department is also producing new guidance for the sector, including on the sponsorship licence process.

Carers: Health Services

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that carers receive an assessment; if he will undertake a review of the (a) access to and (b) adequacy of carer's assessments; and what steps he has taken to ensure that recommendations from a carer's assessment are put in place.

Helen Whately: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.The Health and Care Act 2022 includes provisions for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to assess the performance of local authorities’ delivery of their adult social care duties, as set out under part one of the Care Act 2014. The CQC have been engaging with local Government, the care sector and people with care and support needs to develop a framework for these assessments, including how to consider local authorities’ responsibilities to unpaid carers. We expect CQC assessment of local authorities to roll out from April 2023.

Hospitals: Discharges

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits of making local authorities responsible for managing delayed discharge.

Helen Whately: Hospital discharge processes involve National Health Service trusts and local authorities, and both have legal duties and responsibilities which relate to discharge. NHS bodies must comply with duties in the Care Act 2014, which requires them to co-operate with each other in the exercise of their respective care and support functions. Local authorities and NHS bodies should work jointly in line with the duty to cooperate outlined in the NHS Act 2006.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the diagnosis of (a) lung, (b) pancreatic, (c) liver, (d) stomach, (e) brain, (f) oesophageal and (g) other less survivable cancers.

Helen Whately: Achieving earlier and faster diagnosis of cancer is a priority for the National Health Service. That is why one of the core ambitions in the NHS Long Term Plan is to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028. NHS England’s plan to improve cancer outcomes and accelerate cancer diagnoses is based on six core strands of activity, from raising awareness of cancer symptoms and encouraging people to come forward, to implementing targeted interventions for particular cancer types that we know have previously experienced later stages of diagnosis.This includes the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaigns, which focus on specific symptoms linked to certain cancer types and tackle the fear-related barriers to seeking help from the NHS, across all cancer types. The introduction of non-specific symptoms pathways, of which there are now 102 across England, means general practitioners can rapidly refer patients whose symptoms do not align with one suspected cancer pathway, such as abdominal pain or weight loss.

Hospitals: Discharges

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much it costs the NHS per day to maintain a patient ready for discharge in an acute clinical setting.

Helen Whately: Analysis from 2020/21 shows the cost per day to maintain a patient in an acute clinical setting excluding diagnosis and treatment costs is on average around £345. Some patients may incur additional treatment and diagnostic costs if their medical status changes.

Electronic Cigarettes: Health Hazards

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) respiratory, (b) cardiovascular and (b) cancer risks arising from vaping.

Helen Whately: The Department has commissioned and published a series of evidence reviews on vaping, with the final report of the series published in September 2022.It found that in the short and medium term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking, but that vaping is not risk-free, particularly for people who have never smoked.In summary, the 2022 review concluded that switching to vaping is likely to slow down respiratory disease development, compared to smoking. Using vaping products leads to a substantial reduction in biomarkers of toxicant exposure affecting cardiovascular disease, and vaping generally leads to lower exposure to many of the carcinogens responsible for the considerable health risks of smoking associated with cancer.

Diabetes: Disadvantaged

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Major Conditions Strategy will (i) tackle social determinants of ill health and (ii) address the relationship between poverty and incidence of Type 2 Diabetes.

Helen Whately: The Major Conditions Strategy will include both immediate and long-term action to tackle major conditions. The Strategy’s focus is on tackling conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions. The Strategy will cover treatment and prevention for all six conditions and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service in the coming weeks to identify actions that will have the most impact.

Addison's Disease: Medical Treatments

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of treatment available for people with Addison’s disease.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to develop an easier injection method of hydrocortisone for people with Addison’s disease.

Helen Whately: In assessing the effectiveness of treatment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has commissioned and funded a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on Addison’s disease. This provides primary care practitioners with a readily accessible summary of the current evidence base and practical advice. CKS topics are written by an expert multidisciplinary team with experience of primary care and are developed and updated using the best available evidence.There have been no new licensing applications for new Addison’s disease treatments received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Arthritis and Osteoporosis: Medical Treatments

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women aged 50-69 are waiting for NHS treatment for (a)) Osteoarthritis, (b) Osteoporosis and (c) Arthritis; and how many of those women have been waiting over a year for treatment for each of those conditions.

Helen Whately: The information is not available in the format requested. Data on waiting lists is not collected by age breakdown.

Energy: Hospices

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support to hospices for energy costs further to that provided through the Energy Bill Discount Scheme after March 2023.

Helen Whately: As palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, is commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs) in response to the needs of their local population, any assessment of further financial support should be made at a local level.At a national level, NHS England have released £1.5 billion additional funding to ICBs to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding according to local need. This is in addition to the support provided by Government through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing universal free prescriptions in England.

Will Quince: There are no plans to make an assessment. Approximately 89% of prescription items are already dispensed free of charge and there are already a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges currently in place.

St James' Hospital Portsmouth: Listed Buildings

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the transfer and sale of St James Hospital in Portsmouth was split into two phases; and what assessment he has made of the impact of transfer of the building on its Grade II listed buildings and curtilage.

Will Quince: Portsmouth NHS Clinical Commissioning Group declared the hospital site as surplus in 2014. NHS Property Services, the owners of the site, engaged with Portsmouth County Council to develop a Masterplan which involved a two-phase approach, with the Council inviting Homes England to purchase part of the site; this purchase was completed in 2015. Phase 1 was for an affordable housing scheme and Phase 2 for the conversion of the listed hospital building and new build residential units. The intention was for Phase 1 to be developed before the remainder of the site (Phase 2) became vacant.The conversion of listed buildings such as St James’ Hospital is a sustainable way of maintaining heritage assets and ensuring their preservation in the long term. The current planning applications for both Homes England’s Phase 1 affordable housing scheme and Phase 2 for the conversion of the listed buildings and new build residential units reflect the original Masterplan.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: Consultants

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of successful delivery of the Hospitals Transformation Programme on the recruitment of a dedicated paediatric emergency medicine consultant for Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Will Quince: The ‘Transforming the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital: Strategic Outline Case’ considers impacts on key workforce challenges, including current difficulties recruiting essential medical, nursing and Allied Health Profession clinical roles within the emergency departments.The Trust expects the new Hospitals Transformation Programme, which will deliver a new clinical model developed and designed with clinicians, to enable strengthened working between emergency, trauma, neonatal and paediatric care, offering a more attractive recruitment and training offer for many clinical specialties, including Paediatric Emergency Consultants.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve (a) awareness and (b) diagnosis of cancer in young adults; and with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, what recent progress his Department has made on diagnosing 75 per cent of cancers at stages one or two by 2028.

Helen Whately: Our comprehensive strategy is based on six core strands of activity, from raising awareness of cancer symptoms and encouraging people to come forward, to implementing targeted interventions for particular cancer types that we know have previously experienced later stages of diagnosis.One of the ways in which we raise awareness is through our ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaigns, which focus on specific symptoms linked to certain cancer types and tackle the fear-related barriers to seeking help from the National Health Service, across all cancer types.The introduction of non-specific symptoms pathways, of which there are now 102 across England, offers a route that general practitioners can use with patients whose symptoms do not align with one suspected cancer pathway, such as abdominal pain or weight loss.

Pharmacy: Huddersfield

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure the adequate supply of medication to pharmacies in Huddersfield.

Will Quince: The Department has well-established processes to manage and mitigate the small number of supply problems that may arise at any one time due to manufacturing, regulatory or distribution issues. We work closely with manufacturers, all parts of the supply chain, and where needed others including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England to ensure that deliveries are expedited and future supplies are brought forward to prevent shortages and ensure that any risks to patients are minimised when they do arise.

Carers: Car Allowances

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps with local authorities to help social care providers to increase the mileage allowance paid to care workers.

Helen Whately: The Government is making available up to £7.5 billion over two years to support adult social care and discharge. Local authorities, who work with care providers to determine fee rates, have discretion about how to use this historic increase in funding to best address the pressures in their local areas.

Addison's Disease: Children

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on steps to help improve educational outcomes for children with Addison’s disease.

Helen Whately: No discussions have taken place between my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Education on educational outcomes for children with Addison’s disease.

Emergency Calls

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of ambulance calls resulted in face-to-face responses in 2022.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of ambulance calls resulted in face-to-face responses on the days when ambulance workers took industrial action in December 2022 and January 2023.

Will Quince: There were 7,201,145 ambulance incidents that received a face-to-face response in 2022, which represents 87.9% of all ambulance incidents. Validated daily data on the proportion of ambulance incidents resulting in face-to-face responses is not collected centrally.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help support people who are not eligible for free prescriptions but find it difficult to pay for them.

Will Quince: People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis. To support those who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges or the NHS Low Income Scheme, the cost of prescriptions can be capped by purchasing a prescription pre-payment certificate, which can be paid for in instalments, to allow people to receive all their required medicines for just over £2 a week.Prescription charges for 2022/2023 were frozen to assist with the cost of living. This applies to both the single prescription charge and the prescription pre-payment certificate. Approximately 89% of prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge due to the exemptions that are in place. A further 5% of prescription items are dispensed to holders of a prescription prepayment certificate.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential financial savings for the NHS of not prescribing over-the-counter medication.

Will Quince: We have made no estimate. The joint NHS England and NHS Clinical Commissioners guidance ‘Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: guidance for CCGs’ was published in 2018. It recommends that over the counter items should not be prescribed for 35 conditions that are either minor or will resolve without treatment, and that probiotics and vitamins and minerals, which are not clinically effective, should also not be prescribed.The guidance is currently being updated and is expected to be published this spring. This will include estimates of potential financial savings for the National Health Service of not prescribing over-the-counter items, taking account of the changes in prescribing volumes since publication of the guidance.

Medical Equipment

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will make an assessment of the impact of the removal of healthcare products and devices from the market due to price increase applications being rejected by NHS Supply Chains on the users of those products.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to support UK businesses that supply the NHS with medical devices, medical equipment and services impacted by additional costs relating to (a) production, (b) distribution and (c) energy.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support UK-based NHS suppliers with increases in costs and supply chain pressures.

Will Quince: NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) has robust measures in place to monitor supply chains and works closely with markets to ensure continuity of supply, so that the National Health Service has the medical devices and clinical consumables it needs to deliver care. Given the economic environment and global inflationary pressures, NHS Supply Chain recognises the challenges that suppliers are facing and is committed to working with them within the bounds of contractual agreements, to secure value for money for taxpayers and maintain availability. An established process exists for all price increase requests. These are evaluated by NHSSC on a case-by-case basis in line with the terms and conditions of awarded framework agreements. In order for an increase to be accepted, it needs to be justified and evidenced, and suppliers are expected to play their part in mitigating their cost pressures. With specific reference to energy costs, the Government remains committed to supporting businesses via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that eligible non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy costs over the winter period. Following an HM Treasury led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Prescriptions

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the eligibility criteria are for HRT prepayment certificates.

Will Quince: Anyone can apply for the Hormone Replacement Therapy Pre-Payment Certificate (HRT PPC). The HRT PPC can only be used for treatments that are included on the HRT medicines list to be published in the Drug Tariff Part XVI. To be listed, the treatment must be licensed for use in the treatment of menopause symptoms in the United Kingdom. The HRT PPC can be used regardless of the purpose for which these medicines are prescribed. The HRT PPC will be available to use from 1 April 2023.

Care Homes

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of nursing care homes were rated as inadequate in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of nursing care homes were rated as requires improvement in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of nursing care homes were rated as good in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of nursing care homes were rated as outstanding in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Helen Whately: The Care Quality Commission began rating care homes in 2016 and began splitting the ratings of nursing homes and residential homes in 2018.The following table shows the number and proportion of all care homes rated outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate for the years 2016 and 2017. The data provided includes published ratings only.  RatingYearOutstandingGoodRequires ImprovementInadequateTotal2017148 (1.0%)10,631 (73.3%)3,400 (23.5%)312 (2.2%)14,491 (100.0%)201637 (0.4%)5,032 (62.3%)2,727 (33.8%)285 (3.5%)8,081(100.0%)The following table shows the number and proportion of nursing care homes rated outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate across the years of 2018 to 2023. The data provided includes published ratings only.   Rating YearOutstandingGoodRequires ImprovementInadequateTotal2023210 (5.1%)2,969 (71.8%)891 (21.5%)67 (1.6%)4,137 (100.0%)2022216 (5.2%)2,998 (71.9%)868 (20.8%)90 (2.1%)4,172 (100.0%)2021231 (5.5%)3,045 (72.7%)852 (20.3%)61 (1.5%)4,189 (100.0%)2020202 (4.8%)3,018 (71.4%)915 (21.7%)88 (2.1%)4,223 (100.0%)2019139 (3.3%)2,940 (70.3%)1,018 (24.3%)87 (2.1%)4,184 (100.0%)201885 (2.1%)2,751 (67.6%)1,098 (27.0%)133 (3.3%)4,067 (100.0%)

Arthritis: Health Services

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people with arthritis.

Helen Whately: The majority of services for those with arthritis are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, who are best placed to support people with arthritis. The forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy will cover musculoskeletal health, including arthritis, and combine the Department’s key commitments in mental health, cancer, dementia and health disparities into a single strategy.

Social Services: Waiting Lists

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) number of people awaiting a care and support assessment and (b) the potential impact of delayed assessments on those requiring that assessment.

Helen Whately: The Department does not collect this data. We have worked with Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) to build our understanding of the number of people waiting for adult social care through their recent surveys of Directors of Adult Social Services. The latest ADASS survey results are available at the following link:https://www.adass.org.uk/autumn-survey-report-2022

Respite Care

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February to Question 135221, how much funding was provided for (a) short breaks and (b) respite services to carers by the Government in each of the last 13 years; and how many carers benefited from this funding each year.

Helen Whately: The Department does not hold data on short breaks and respite care services for unpaid carers. Funding for respite and short breaks for unpaid carers has been included in the National Health Service contribution to the Better Care Fund (BCF) since 2015. In 2022/23, £291.7 million of BCF funding has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as advice and support to unpaid carers.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the major conditions strategy will reduce waiting times for cancer diagnoses and treatment.

Helen Whately: The Major Conditions Strategy will look at all cancer types, covering the patient pathway from prevention, through treatment, to follow-up care. The strategy will look at a wide range of interventions and enablers to improve outcomes and experience for cancer patients.

Medical Equipment: Prescriptions

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been prescribed a (a) nebuliser, (b) oxygen concentrator, (c) suction, (d) ventilator or non-invasive ventilation, (e) feeding pump, (f) powered hospital bed, (g) electric wheelchair, (h) haemodialysis machine, (i) body drier and (j) chair lift for home use.

Helen Whately: The information requested is not held centrally. The listed equipment is provided under a broad range of National Health Service and local authority commissioned homecare services. Further information may be available locally.

Better Care Fund: Carers

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February to Question 135221, how many (a) hours of respite care will be provided and (b) carers will benefit from that funding.

Helen Whately: This information is not held.

Radiotherapy

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to change reimbursement tariffs to help incentivise (a) modern forms of radiotherapy and (b) adaptive radiotherapy.

Helen Whately: NHS England has signalled its intent to revise the reimbursement arrangements for radiotherapy as part of its consultation on National Health Service tariff arrangements ‘2023/25 NHS Payment Scheme – a consultation notice’, released in December 2022. The new arrangements aim to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan ambition to incentivise innovative forms of radiotherapy, for example the use of hypofractionated protocols, and timely equipment replacement.

Health Visitors

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the number of health visitors that are required to operate a safe and effective service for parents; and whether he is taking steps to integrate the findings of that assessment into the NHS workforce plan.

Helen Whately: No such assessment has been made. It is the responsibility of local authority commissioners, with their service providers, to determine health visitor numbers based upon local needs. The Government has committed to publish an NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan this year.

Defibrillators: Public Places

Wendy Morton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to announce the details of the application process and criteria for the Community Automated External Defibrillator Fund.

Helen Whately: The Department is currently in the pre-procurement stage in its process of determining a selected partner for the Automated External Defibrillator Fund. The criteria for assessing whether proposed recipients are eligible to access the Automated External Defibrillators Fund will be part of the procurement process. A typical procurement that is compliant with the regulations can take anywhere from three to six months depending on the procurement route chosen.The Department will publish in due course a notice informing interested organisations of the upcoming opportunity and invite them to bid for the grant through GOV.UK.

Care Homes

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of residential care homes were rated as inadequate in (a) January 2023 and (b) in each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of residential care homes were rated as requires improvement in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of residential care homes were rated as good in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of residential care homes were rated as outstanding in (a) January 2023 and (b) each of the last 13 years.

Helen Whately: The Care Quality Commission began rating care homes in 2016 and began splitting the ratings of nursing homes and residential homes in 2018.The following table shows the number and proportion of all care homes rated outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate for the years 2016 and 2017. The data provided includes published ratings only.YearOutstandingGoodRequires ImprovementInadequateTotal2017148 (1.0%)10,631 (73.3%)3,400 (23.5%)312 (2.2%)14,491 (100.0%)201637 (0.4%)5,032 (62.3%)2,727 (33.8%)285 (3.5%)8,081 (100.0%)The following table shows the number and proportion of residential care homes rated outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate across the years of 2018 to 2023. The data provided includes published ratings only.YearOutstandingGoodRequires ImprovementInadequateTotal2023408 (3.9%)8,137 (78.6%)1,637 (15.8%)180 (1.7%)10,362 (100.0%)2022420 (4.0%)8,376 (80.0%)1,512 (14.4%)171 (1.6%)10,479 (100.0%)2021426 (4.0%)8,618 (80.8%)1,490 (14.0%)133 (1.2%)10,667 (100.0%)2020394 (3.6%)8,787 (81.1%)1,525 (14.2%)124 (1.1%)10,830 (100.0%)2019309 (2.8%)8,836 (81.6%)1,539 (14.3%)137 (1.3%)10,821 (100.0%)2018209 (1.9%)8,736 (80.5%)1,746 (16.1%)166 (1.5%)10,857 (100.0%)

Sunscreen: Prices

Amy Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the price of sunscreen on the rate of people wearing sunscreen and the risk of cancer among those who do not wear it.

Helen Whately: No specific assessment has been made.

Social Services: Agency Workers

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 135225, if he will make an estimate of the annual spend of social care providers on agency care workers in each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 135225, how many of the total number of staff employed were agency care workers in each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 135225, how many and what proportion of care workers were agency domiciliary care workers in each of the last 13 years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 135225, how many and what proportion of care workers were agency residential care workers in each of the last 13 years.

Helen Whately: According to Skills for Care, 8% of all filled posts in the care sector were bank, pool, or agency in 2021/22. 7% of all filled posts in residential care and 7% in domiciliary care were bank, pool, or agency in 2021/22. In the absence of more complete data on the number or cost of agency staff in previous years, we are unable to make a robust estimate on the annual spend on agency care workers in the last 13 years.

Medical Equipment: Energy

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of rebate or refund schemes made available to patients for energy costs they incur running at home medical devices; and what assessment he has made of the consistency of those schemes between trusts.

Helen Whately: The Department has not conducted assessments on the adequacy of rebates or reimbursements available to patients for energy costs, or the consistency of these schemes between trusts. Certain specialised National Health Services, such as home Haemodialysis and home oxygen concentrators, include the provision of financial support to offset energy costs incurred by patients using medical equipment at home. NHS England has uplifted tariff prices by 4.1% this year to account for inflationary costs and support NHS trusts in uplifting their local reimbursement tariffs for patients. In addition to the above, the Government’s cost of living support package delivers £15 billion worth of support measures to assist the most vulnerable with rising energy costs.

Health Incentives Scheme: Wolverhampton

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost has been to the Government up to 21 February 2023 of the Better Health: Reward app pilot in Wolverhampton announced on 17 February 2023.

Neil O'Brien: In March 2021, the Department committed to develop a new approach to health incentives that aims to support people to eat better and move more. The pilot launched on 17 February 2023 and is available to all adults who live in Wolverhampton. A contract was awarded in October 2021 to develop and deliver the pilot and costs to date are within the advertised contract value of up to £2 million.The Department has committed up to £3 million to be spent on rewards for participants. The pilot will run for up to six months during which time participants will be able to earn points and redeem them for rewards.

Health Visitors

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of Health Visitors on (a) health and wellbeing outcomes for children under the age of five and (b) parenting skills and confidence in those skills among parents of children under the age of five.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. Health visitors have an important role supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence, alongside other professionals such as community staff nurses and nursery nurses and other health services. Data on service coverage and child health outcomes are published to support local commissioning processes, available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/child-health-profiles

Carers: Health Services

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a review of carer’s assessments.

Helen Whately: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 February 2023 to Question 136784.

Frenchay Hospital

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Nightingale Hospital in Frenchay has been decommissioned; how much that facility cost to run; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the alternative uses for that building.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made on the alternative uses for that building. The commissioning of appropriate estates is a matter for the National Health Service locally. The Nightingale Hospital at the University of the West of England was closed and decommissioned from 1 April 2021. The overall cost of providing the hospital was £26.2 million. Any reusable equipment has been redistributed to local hospitals.

Health Visitors

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that health visitors work with safe caseloads in the context of trends in the number of health visitors.

Neil O'Brien: It is the responsibility of local authority commissioners, with their service providers, to determine health visitor numbers based upon local needs. To support, we have also published employer guidance, including information on caseload management which is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/686922/PH_nursing_workforce_guidance_for_employers_and_employees.pdf

Genito-urinary Medicine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to provide (a) additional funding for sexual health services and (b) sexual health risk reduction (i) advice and (ii) interventions that are available (A) face-to-face and (B) online.

Neil O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 January to Question 120079.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve breast cancer screening rates in (a) the UK and (b) Ealing Central and Acton constituency.

Neil O'Brien: Steps being taken to help improve breast cancer screening rates in the United Kingdom include continuation of investment and planning to promote the use of text message alerts to remind women of upcoming appointments, roll out of local and national media campaigns to raise awareness of the breast screening programme as required, development of improved inclusive information for women and delivery of 29 new breast cancer screening units, 58 remote access upgrades and nearly 70 life-saving service upgrades.Specifically, in North West London (including the London Borough of Ealing), the following initiatives have been implemented to improve breast cancer screening rates: a campaign ran in October 2022 to encourage women to attend their breast screening and reminded them to book an appointment if they had been invited; multilingual breast screening reminder calls were made to non-responders; screening improvement facilitators were commissioned to develop and implement local plans to improve screening uptake and coverage; and posters and leaflets on breast screening were shared in community spaces across North West London.

Department of Health and Social Care: Staff

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many full-time equivalent  staff are currently working on the Major Diseases Strategy.

Helen Whately: The Major Conditions Strategy is led by a core team of 12 staff with one senior responsible officer at director level and is receiving input from staff across the Department.

Leader of the House

Government Departments: Written Questions

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Leader of the House, what steps she is taking to help ensure Departments provide substantive and timely answers to written parliamentary questions.

Penny Mordaunt: Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account and, as Leader of the House, I expect Government Ministers to respond quickly and effectively to written parliamentary questions. I will continue to drive that message and I encourage members who get an unsatisfactory response to write to me and I will take this up for any Member who does not get a proper response.The ​Procedure ​Committee has a strong track record of calling Ministers in to look at​ departmental​ performance where there are issues​ and their regular reporting of performance continues to be an effective tool​. ​I note the Procedure Committee's report from earlier in this session on written parliamentary questions during the 2021-22 session​ and ​I was pleased to read that the number of answers provided on time has improved from the 2019-21 session. ​I hope we will see this improvement continue in the current session. ​However, there remains room for improvement and I hope departments and Ministers will consider how best to ensure resources are adequately deployed to improve performance.I recognise that my office and I have a role to play in making representations to Government on behalf of the House of Commons, and have taken a number actions in recent months:Over the 2022 Summer recess my office conducted a series of discussions across Whitehall regarding the importance of timely and quality responses to Members.In line with the practice of my predecessors, I have written to all members of Cabinet.I participated in a ‘Leading in Parliament’ session with Senior Civil Servants.I met with the Home Office Permanent Secretary following a number of concerns raised during Business Questions, and I have been pleased to note an improvement in performance in that department’s performance statistics. Changes include regular briefings on PQ performance to Director Generals; a further training offer to civil servants to improve performance and quality of responses; and investment in software to help manage PQ allocation and clearance processes.In November 2022 my office published an updated Guide to Parliamentary Work which is available on Gov.uk and includes guidance for civil servants on answering written parliamentary questions, reflecting concerns raised by the Procedure Committee (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work).My office oversees the Parliamentary Clerks’ Working Group, which brings together all departmental Parliamentary Clerks from across Whitehall to discuss topical issues and share best practice. During its last meeting in December 2022, my office expressed my concerns and reiterated the need for improvements in the timeliness of responses to parliamentary questions to be maintained.The Parliamentary Capability Team in the Cabinet Office also provides training on managing parliamentary work to civil servants of all departments and grades, including blended learning courses on Written Parliamentary Questions and tailored workshops for Senior Civil Servants. Since April 2022, 896 civil servants from across government have attended training provided by the Parliamentary Capability Team on managing Written Parliamentary Questions.I will be meeting with all departmental Permanent Secretaries in the coming weeks where I will reiterate the importance of substantive and timely answers to written parliamentary questions.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an estimate of the average hourly cost of funding an early years place for a child aged (a) three or four and (b) two.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an estimate of the average hourly cost of funding an early years place for a child aged (a) three or four and (b) two in each of the next five years.

Claire Coutinho: On 16 December 2022, the department published local authority funding rates for the early education entitlements for the 2023/24 financial year. Average funding rates, along with supporting data, can be found in the step-by-step calculations (national details) available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2023-to-2024. As the early education entitlements are demand-led, the department cannot forecast average funding rates for the 2024/25 financial year until funding rates for local authorities are announced later this year. Average funding rates beyond 2024/25 will be determined following the next Spending Review.

Fathers: Young People

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) training and (b) guidance provided to (i) social workers and (ii) midwives to support young fathers.

Claire Coutinho: Over the current spending review period, the department will continue to invest more than £50 million every year on recruiting, training, and developing child and family social workers to ensure the workforce has the capacity, skills, and knowledge to support and protect vulnerable children.Social workers have access to specialist training as needed, for example early years and parenting and Approved Mental Health Professional training, to ensure they are able to adequately support people, including young fathers.It is the responsibility for individual NHS Trusts to invest in post-registration training for midwives, ensuring that their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role. Care of the partner and families is referenced throughout the standards of proficiency for midwives, published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This can be accessed here: https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards/standards-of-proficiency-for-midwives.pdf.

Special Educational Needs: Dyspraxia

Saqib Bhatti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to help ensure that all teachers receive training to support students with dyspraxia in the classroom; and what steps she is taking to monitor the effectiveness of that training.

Claire Coutinho: The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). All trainees who achieve Qualified Teacher Status must demonstrate that they can adapt teaching to respond to the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. To support all teachers in meeting these standards, the department is implementing high-quality teacher training reforms which begin with initial teacher training and continue throughout career progression. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND. The Universal Services Programme, which began in May 2022, aims to reach 70% of schools and colleges and will help the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively. It will also help them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment. The department is committed to gathering evidence about the implementation and impact of the reforms, to ensure that it provides the best support for new teachers entering the profession. To support this, we are working with the Education Endowment Foundation to ensure a comprehensive package of evaluation activity.

Special Educational Needs: Employment

Saqib Bhatti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help young people with special educational needs and disabilities to enter the workplace; and what steps the Government is taking to help ensure those young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential in the workforce.

Claire Coutinho: The department is working across government to ensure that all young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education, supporting them to achieve positive outcomes. With the right preparation and support, the majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained, paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption. They should provide the career advice and support that helps young people to develop the skills and experience, and achieve the qualifications, that they need to succeed in their careers. The government is committed to supporting pathways to employment for disabled young people, including, for example, through strengthening the Supported Internship programme. The department is investing approximately £18 million until 2025 to build capacity in the Supported Internships Programme and support more young people with Education Health and Care plans into employment. The department is supporting the Department for Work and Pensions to pilot an Adjustments Passport that will help to smooth the transition into employment and support people changing jobs, including people with SEND. The Adjustments Passport will capture the in-work support needs of the individual and empower them to have confident discussions about adjustments with employers.

Special Educational Needs

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to allocate more support to (a) vulnerable and (b) disabled children in need of Educational Health Care Plans.

Claire Coutinho: The department will be allocating more support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who require education, health and care (EHC) plans.High needs funding will be rising to £10.1 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, an increase of over 50% from the 2019/20 financial year allocations.Both special schools and alternative provision (AP) schools will benefit from the additional funding allocated for the 2023/24 financial year. To ensure that they see increases equivalent to those that mainstream schools will receive, we have introduced a new condition that local authorities must pass on a 3.4% increase in total funding per place, to each special and AP maintained school and academy.Local authorities will be able to use the rest of their additional allocation of high needs funding to support young people with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools and elsewhere, including those requiring an EHC plan.The department is also currently in the process of reviewing consultation responses through the SEND and AP Green Paper.We are committed to publishing a full response to the SEND and AP Green Paper in an improvement plan early this year.

Children: Addison's Disease

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with Addison’s disease are home-schooled.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school-age children have Addison's disease; and how many children with Addison's disease attend schools.

Claire Coutinho: The department does not collect data on the number of school-age children with Addison’s disease, nor on the number with Addison’s disease who attend school or are home educated.

Schools: Closures

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2023 to Question 140337 on Schools: Closures, if she will publish the (a) names and (b) local authority areas of 39 schools that have closed because one or more school buildings were deemed unsafe.

Nick Gibb: It is not Department practice to publicise the names of individual schools or Local Authority areas that have turned to the Department for help in managing an operational issue.

Reading: Teaching Methods

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will provide schools on the Isle of Wight with funding for systematic synthetic phonics programmes.

Nick Gibb: In 2018, the Department launched the £26.3 million English Hubs Programme, which is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.The 34 English Hubs in the programme are primary schools which are outstanding at teaching early reading. A further £17 million has been allocated for this school to school improvement programme, which focusses on systematic synthetic phonics, early language, and reading for pleasure.Schools on the Isle of Wight may contact their nearest English Hub, Springhill Catholic Primary, if they wish to receive funding support for phonics. The hub has, so far, recruited one partner school on the Isle of Wight and is actively reaching out to other eligible schools, including planning an Isle of Wight specific engagement event in the coming term.

Schools: Buildings

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of information published by her Department on the condition and safety of school buildings.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) was one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK public sector. It collected data on the building condition of Government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target the capital funding it provides for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.Individual reports have been provided to schools and the relevant local authority or trust to help inform their maintenance plans alongside their own more detailed surveys and safety checks. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. This data is being prepared and will be published as soon as possible.Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Over £13 billion has been allocated for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year. The 10-year School Rebuilding Programme is condition led and 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have now been provisionally allocated.

Academies: Supply Teachers

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of supply teachers hired by academies in England each year since 2017.

Nick Gibb: Information on school spending is found in the schools financial benchmarking tool which contains Local Authority maintained schools’ Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) returns and academies’ accounting returns (AARs). The tool is found here: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/Help/DataSources.The CFR and AAR results publish spending by schools on supply teachers. The latest information available is for the 2020/21 academic year for academies.

Financial Services: Primary Education

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the Centre for Financial Capability’s finding that one-fifth of primary school children have access to financial education.

Nick Gibb: The Government wants all young people to manage their money well, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed.The Department works closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) and HM Treasury to consider the wide range of evidence for financial education, and to explore the opportunities to improve the availability to high quality financial education for all pupils. This evidence includes reports from the Centre for Financial Capability.MaPS has a statutory duty to develop and coordinate a national strategy to improve people’s financial capabilities. Their ten year strategy, published in 2020, set out their national goal that two million more children and young people will receive a meaningful financial education by 2030. The strategy is supported by Delivery Plans for each nation of the UK. This can be found here: https://www.maps.org.uk/uk-strategy-for-financial-wellbeing/.The Department has introduced a rigorous mathematics curriculum which provides young people with the knowledge and financial capabilities to make important financial decisions. In the primary mathematics curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on the essential arithmetic that pupils should be taught. This knowledge is vital, as a strong grasp of mathematics will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, using percentages. There is also some specific content regarding financial education, such as calculations with money. Primary schools can also choose to teach financial education content within their citizenship curriculum, using the non-statutory citizenship curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/citizenship-programmes-of-study-for-key-stages-1-and-2.MaPS published financial education guidance for primary and secondary schools in England, to support schools to enhance the financial education currently being taught. This guidance can be found here: https://maps.org.uk/2021/11/11/financial-education-guidance-for-primary-and-secondary-schools-in-england/.The Department and MaPS will deliver a series of joint financial education webinars this academic year, aimed at promoting the importance of financial education for all pupils, improving teacher confidence and knowledge.

Students: Finance

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that parents of students receive the full financial support to which they are entitled.

Nick Gibb: The Government spends around £1.5 billion per year so children have access to nutritious food during the school day and in the holidays.Around 1.9 million pupils are claiming free school meals (FSM). This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, over one third of school children are now provided with FSM.The Department provides an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible. The Department continues to use and refine a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM.The Department also provides guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.The Department is committed to continuing support for school breakfasts, and in November 2022 the National School Breakfast Programme was extended for an additional year until the end of the 2024 summer term. The Department is funding up to £30 million in this programme and it will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas. This means that thousands of children from low income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment and wellbeing. Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils from deprived households, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.The Department has also significantly expanded the Holiday Activities and Food programme and are contributing over £200 million per year in these free holiday club places for children from low income families. The programme provides enriching activities and a healthy meal for disadvantaged children in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays. Local Authorities reported that over 685,000 children benefited from the programme last summer.The Government has announced cost of living support worth £26 billion for the next financial year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This is on top of the £37 billion support provided by the Government this year. Much of this, including the £400 energy bills discount, the £150 Council Tax discount and the Energy Price Guarantee, is being applied automatically, ensuring eligible households receive the support they are entitled to. Cost of living payments are also paid automatically to support eligible people on means-tested benefits.

Overseas Students: Finance

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding to support international students, in the context of the cost of living crisis.

Robert Halfon: To be eligible for home fee status and student support from Student Finance England, a student must be ordinarily and lawfully resident in England, and have ‘settled’ status or a recognised connection with the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course. This includes persons who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement, those who have long residence in this country or those who have been granted international protection by the Home Office.Usually, students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the three years immediately preceding that date. This ensures that the limited public funds available for student support are targeted at people with a lawful and substantial residential connection to the UK.We have boosted our student premium by £15 million to help students who need extra support. This extra funding, now totalling £276 million, will complement the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. The department works with the Office for Students to ensure universities support students using both hardship funds and drawing on the student premium.All households will save on their energy bills through the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme discount. Students who buy their energy from a domestic supplier are eligible for the energy bills discount. The Energy Prices Act passed on 25 October 2022 includes the provision which requires landlords to pass any benefits they receive from energy price support onto end users, as appropriate. Further details of the requirements under this Act are set out in the legislation.The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a price reduction to ensure that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from high energy bills this winter, including universities and private purpose-built student accommodation providers.

Academies: Capital Investment

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish further updates to the free school, university technical college and studio school capital costs for buying and renting land and building works transparency data.

Nick Gibb: The Department publishes capital costs for all free schools on GOV.UK once all works are completed and costs are finalised: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-funding-for-open-free-schools.Given that these can be large and complex projects, it can take some time between a school first opening and the publication of capital costs.The Department also publishes details of all free school construction contracts awarded over £10,000 on Contracts Finder at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search. In addition, information relating to sites and buildings acquired as part of the free schools programme can be found on the Land Registry.

Fathers: Young People

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that young fathers are made aware of (a) family hubs and (b) other family support services that are available to them.

Claire Coutinho: The government is investing £300 million to transform Start for Life and Family Hub services in 75 upper-tier local authorities across England with high levels of deprivation. In August 2022, the government published the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme guide, including a Family Hub Model Framework. Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide.On 9 February 2023, the government announced the names of local authorities which have been successful in their bid to become trailblazers, leading the way on ambitious programme delivery and supporting other areas with their expertise. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-families-to-benefit-from-local-support-in-rollout-of-family-hubs.The Family Hub Model Framework includes criteria around the outreach model, which sets out that local authorities should actively engage with seldom heard families and groups, including fathers and male carers, and focus on overcoming any stigma associated with accessing services. Family hubs created through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme will also provide universal parenting support services for under 2s to assist new and expectant parents who want and need it, including carers, fathers and co-parents.In December 2022, the department published the results of behavioural insights research on increasing the uptake of family hub services. The results are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behavioural-insights-increasing-uptake-of-family-hub-services. One of the projects considered how behavioural science could be used to develop and evaluate effective messaging to promote a ‘New Fathers Support Group’. The research has generated important lessons for local authorities more broadly and findings from the research will be disseminated through the National Centre for Family Hubs.Parents and carers, including young fathers will be able to get information on other family support services via local ‘Family Information Services’ established by local authorities under Section 12 of the Childcare Act 2006. Through the Family Hubs - Growing Up Well project, the government is developing digital solutions that will solve practical problems which local areas face in delivering effective family hub networks. This includes improving how professionals connect families to support and how families access and navigate services themselves within their local family hub network.In addition to funding for Family Hubs and Start for Life, all upper-tier local authorities also benefit from the government’s increased investment in the Supporting Families programme. As part of the Autumn 2021 Spending Review, £200 million of additional investment was announced to expand the programme. This is around a 40% cash terms uplift in funding for the programme by the 2024/25 financial year, taking total planned investment across the next three years to £695 million. Supporting Families encourages services to work together to provide co-ordinated whole family support to families facing multiple challenges. 520,000 families have already benefited from help, reporting improvements with the problems that led to them joining the programme. The investment is projected to help a further 300,000 families.

National School Breakfast Programme

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the number of schools enrolled in the National School Breakfast Programme.

Nick Gibb: ​​In November 2022, the Department extended the National School Breakfast Programme for an additional year, until the end of the summer term in 2024. £30 million has been set aside to fund this programme. This funding will support up to 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas, meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing, and readiness to learn. Schools are eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils from disadvantaged households, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

Training: Disability

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help provide skills training opportunities for adults with disabilities.

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide skills training opportunities for neurodiverse adults.

Robert Halfon: The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which was £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and neurodivergent adults, from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.The AEB includes learning support funding to enable colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and meet the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia, funding to pay for specialist equipment or helpers, and arranging signers or note takers.The department is working to ensure that a learning difficulty or disability is not a barrier to people who want to realise the benefits of an apprenticeship. To ensure that employers are supported to create new apprenticeship opportunities, we provide targeted financial support directly to training providers to help remove barriers for people with a learning difficulty or disability.Providers can access learning support funding of £150 per month where a reasonable adjustment is delivered and evidenced. Employers can access the Department for Work and Pensions’ Access to Work scheme to better support apprentices with disabilities.The department has also improved the Find an Apprenticeship service to allow people to identify Disability Confident Employers offering opportunities. The department has launched a Disabled Apprentice Network in partnership with Disability Rights UK to provide valuable insight and evidence on how to attract and retain people with disabilities into apprenticeships.Additionally, the department’s skills offers include Skills Bootcamps and Free Courses for Jobs. Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion.There are now hundreds of Skills Bootcamps available across the country, offering training in digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics (HGV driving), and skills that support the green economy, including heat pump engineer and electric vehicle maintenance and repair and zero carbon construction.The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job. The courses available offer good wage outcomes and address skills needs in the economy, empowering adults with the tools they need to secure a better job.Adults in England without a full level 3 are eligible for these qualifications. In addition, adults in England are also eligible if they are earning under the National Living Wage annually, or £18,525 from April 2022, or are unemployed, regardless of their prior qualification level. There are over 400 qualifications on offer in areas such as engineering, social care and accounting, alongside many others. These qualifications have been identified for their strong wage outcomes and ability to meet key skills needs.Both of these offers are open to all eligible learners, including adults with a disability or for neurodiverse adults.Neurodiverse adults and those with disabilities can access free, up-to-date, and impartial information, advice and guidance on the full range of skills training opportunities through the National Careers Service. Discussions are tailored to meet the individual needs and circumstances of each customer. Adults with special educational needs and/or disabilities are one of six priority groups who are eligible for more targeted support from careers advisers. The website https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ is regularly updated, with a programme of continuous improvement. The content currently includes around 800 job profiles, a course directory and information on how to find a job, build a CV, and interview techniques.

Birkbeck, University of London: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with representatives of Birkbeck, University of London, on potential cuts to its Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of potential cuts to the Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics at Birkbeck, University of London, on higher education opportunities for (a) mature and (b) BAME students.

Robert Halfon: Overall, there are higher proportions of mature students and students from Black, Asian, Mixed or Other backgrounds at Birkbeck College than within the higher education (HE) sector as a whole.HE providers are independent, autonomous institutions, responsible for their own decisions on staffing issues, including how they structure themselves to deliver research and teaching priorities. Where it is necessary to reshape their activities, it is important that universities carefully consider the impact of job losses on staff and students and the overall sustainability of teaching and research.The department’s access and participation reforms announced in November 2021 are playing a key role in ensuring individuals can get the support they need to make decisions that are right for them, regardless of their age, ethnicity, geographical region or socio-economic background.The government has issued guidance to the Office for Student asking it to refocus the entire access and participation regime to create a system that supports people from disadvantaged backgrounds by ensuring students are able to make the right choices, accessing and succeeding on high quality courses which are valued by employers and lead to good graduate employment. This work aims to drive up standards in education and focus in on genuine social justice.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to deliver employability skills in schools.

Nick Gibb: The UK qualifications system gives all young people the opportunity to prepare for a range of careers, by offering them a choice of different academic and technical pathways.Up to the age of 16, young people are introduced to a broad and balanced curriculum. GCSEs were reformed from 2013 to ensure that they rigorously assess the knowledge pupils have acquired.Post-16, all students are then able to specialise, choosing from a range of high quality academic and technical qualifications. This includes A levels, T Levels and apprenticeships. The Department is also streamlining and improving the quality of post-16 qualifications at Level 3 and below.The Department wants to support high quality careers education in all schools, which complements the National Curriculum. Careers education helps prepare young people for the workplace, providing a clear understanding of the world of work, including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding.Schools and colleges are expected to work towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks of good careers guidance. The benchmarks encourage schools and colleges to take a strategic approach to ensuring employer engagement is embedded throughout careers provision, meaning young people gain meaningful experience and understanding of the workplace throughout their secondary education. This means that every pupil should have opportunities to learn from different employers about the attributes that are valued in the workplace, as well as first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience.This year the Department is concentrating £30 million in funding in the Careers Enterprise Company (CEC), to support the delivery of careers programmes for young people. The Department is working with the CEC to support schools and colleges to help them meet the Gatsby Benchmarks of good practice in careers, including for those on employer encounters and work experience. This will include supporting young people to identify and demonstrate their employability.

Home Education

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of people who are home-schooled due to issues around administering medication during the school day.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally.From October 2022, the Department requested information from Local Authorities on their home education cohorts, which departmental officials are currently analysing. The information requested from Local Authorities did not include information to establish the number of children experiencing issues with administering medication whilst at school.

Further Education: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to address recruitment and retention in the further education workforce.

Robert Halfon: The department is increasing the level of overall investment in the further education (FE) sector, which will help colleges to recruit, retain, and develop the staff they need.The 2021 Spending Review made an extra £1.6 billion available for 16 to 19 education in the 2024/25 financial year compared with 2021/22. In the 2023/24 financial year, the department will be investing £125 million of available funding to support all institutions’ costs by increasing the national funding rate by 2.2% from £4,542 to £4,642, and for subject specific funding, including uplifting 16 to 19 programme costs weights for engineering, construction and digital sector subject areas. This will provide support for the additional costs of recruiting and retaining teachers in this high value vocational provision.The department has launched a national FE recruitment campaign and a Teach in FE digital service which is expected to reach millions of prospective FE teaching staff. The campaign will target those with valuable experience in industry to train the next generation of technical experts as well as delivering simple, accessible information and comprehensive support for prospective teachers.The department has supported the creation of new routes into FE teaching, including a new level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship for those planning to work in the FE sector. Our Taking Teaching Further programme, which enables business and industry experts to move into teaching by providing teacher training and early career support, has supported around 1,000 people to retrain as FE teachers since it launched in 2018. The department is providing tax-free bursaries worth up to £26,000 a year to support FE teacher training in priority subject areas for academic year 2022/23.

Further Education: Finance

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on improving funding for further education colleges.

Robert Halfon: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and officials within her department meet with counterparts in other government departments regularly to discuss education and skills matters.Further education (FE) colleges can benefit from the additional £3.8 billion that the department is investing in FE and skills over this Parliamentary session to ensure people across the country have access to the skills they need to build a fulfilling career in jobs the economy needs.This includes an extra £1.6 billion for 16 to 19 education secured in the 2024/25 financial year, compared with 2021/22. This is the biggest increase in 16 to19 funding in a decade. This will help to fund the additional students anticipated in the system, 40 extra hours per student, and provide an affordable increase in funding rates per 16 to19 students. This includes an up-front cash boost which will see the national rate of funding increase by over 8% in academic year 2022/23, from £4,188 to £4,542 per student.Further increases have also been announced for academic year 2023/24, increasing the national funding rate to £4,642, and a 10 per cent increase to the national funding rates for T Levels bands 6 to 9, specifically for academic year 2023/24. This is to recognise the extra cost for providers transitioning to T Levels, and to support providers with growing their T Level offer.The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) which totals £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. The AEB fully funds, or co-funds, skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3 qualifications. This helps them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.Through the National Skills Fund, worth £2.5 billion over the course of the parliament, we have made funding available to FE colleges across the country to deliver level 3 Free Courses for Jobs. The Free Courses for Jobs offer enables learners without a level 3 qualification, or learners with any qualification level but earning below the National Living Wage, to gain a qualification for free. FE colleges will also have the opportunity to bid to deliver Skills Bootcamps through the Dynamic Purchasing System which was launched in November 2022. The first competition in digital skills is now live with 64 suppliers onboard.The department is committed to supporting more employers in using apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need and to helping more people benefit from the high-quality training that apprenticeships offer. To support more employers, FE colleges and learners to access apprenticeships, we are increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year.The department is funding improvements in FE through a £2.8 billion skills capital investment over the spending review period. This funding will include improvements to the condition of the post-16 estate, new places in post-16 education, more specialist equipment and facilities for T Levels and delivery of the commitment to 20 Institutes of Technology across England.

Schools: Finance

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase funding for schools.

Nick Gibb: ​The 2022 Autumn Statement announced an additional £2 billion for schools, in addition to the funding announced as part of the 2021 Spending Review.​​Taking the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocations and the additional funding announced in the Autumn Statement 2022 together, core schools funding, which includes funding for both mainstream schools and high needs, is increasing by £3.5 billion in 2023/24, compared to 2022/23. The core schools budget will total £57.3 billion in 2023/24 and £58.8 billion in 2024/25.​​The Institute of Fiscal Studies have said that this additional funding will fully cover expected increases in school costs up to 2024 and will take per pupil spending back to at least 2010 levels in real terms, meaning 2024/25 will be the highest ever level of spending on schools in real terms per pupil.​​The additional funding will be allocated to mainstream schools through the new Mainstream Schools Additional Grant (MSAG) in 2023/24. This will be on top of schools’ core funding allocations.​​A typical primary school with 200 pupils will receive approximately £35,000 in additional funding through the MSAG, and a typical secondary school with 900 pupils will receive approximately £200,000.

Schools: Buildings

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2022 to Question 61298 on Schools: Slough, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the time taken to publish details of the Condition Data Collection survey.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) was one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.Individual reports have been provided to schools and the relevant local authority or trust to help inform their maintenance plans alongside their own more detailed surveys and safety checks.The Department is planning to publish school level CDC data to increase transparency. Publishing the school level data will also improve local understanding about the condition of school buildings and increase innovation by allowing external organisations to interrogate and analyse the data. The Department is still preparing the school level data and plans to publish it as soon as possible.Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year. Our 10-year School Rebuilding Programme is condition led, and the Department has now provisionally allocated 400 of the 500 available places on the programme.

Special Educational Needs: Hearing Impairment

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent steps the Government has taken to (a) improve support for deaf children and (b) increase the number of specialist teachers for deaf children.

Claire Coutinho: I refer the hon. Member for Putney to the answer I gave on 23 February 2023 to Question 143709.

Children: Protection

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department holds data on what percentage of Child Protection cases have domestic abuse as the predominant issue.

Claire Coutinho: The department does not hold data on the number of children who were subject to a child protection plan where domestic abuse was the predominant issue. The data that is held shows that of the 50,920 children that were the subject of a child protection plan at 31 March 2022, 3,780 (7%) had physical abuse recorded as the initial category of abuse.

Students: Finance

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) linking student maintenance support to inflation, (b) changing eligibility criteria for Universal Credit to increase the number of students that are eligible, (c) capping student rent, (d) providing funding to education providers to deliver improved hardship funds and (e) adjusting maintenance loan thresholds, in the context of increases in the cost of living.

Robert Halfon: The government reviews the support provided to cover students’ living costs on an annual basis and recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year which have impacted students.The department has boosted our student premium by £15 million to help students who need extra support. This extra funding, now totalling £276 million, will complement the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. The department works with the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure universities support students using both hardship funds and drawing on the student premium.In the 2022/23 academic year, there has been an increase of 2.3% in loans for living costs, and there will be a further increase of 2.8% for the 2023/24 academic year. Decisions on student finance have had to be taken alongside other spending priorities to ensure the system remains financially sustainable and that the costs of higher education are shared fairly between students and taxpayers, not all of whom have benefited from going to university. Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the 2022/23 tax year has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, can apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.Loans for living costs are a contribution towards students’ living costs while attending university. The highest levels of support are targeted at students who need it the most, such as students from low-income families.The primary source of financial help for students is provided through the student support system. As such, students on full-time higher education courses cannot normally satisfy the entitlement conditions for Universal Credit.Exceptions are only made where students have additional needs that are not met through the student support system, for example, if they are responsible for a child.Further details on claiming Universal Credit as a student which includes a list of students who may qualify for Universal Credit can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-students.The government plays no role in the provision of student residential accommodation. Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. We encourage universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure that they are fair, clear, and have the interests of students at heart. This includes making accommodation available at a range of affordable price points, where possible.More widely, the government does not support the introduction of rent controls in the private rented sector to set the level of rent at the outset of a tenancy. The White Paper, ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’, published on 16 June 2022 outlines the proposed reforms which will help prevent unfair rent increases for tenants, while ensuring landlords can continue to make necessary changes to rent. The measures include only allowing increases to rent once per year, ending the use of rent review clauses, and improving tenants’ ability to challenge excessive rent increases through the First Tier Tribunal.

Schools: Uniforms

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to publish guidance for parents on the powers of her Department to intervene when schools do not comply with statutory guidance on school uniform costs.

Nick Gibb: ​​There are no current plans to publish guidance for parents on the powers of the Department to intervene when schools do not comply with the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform. The GOV.UK guidance page on school uniforms explains that if someone has a complaint regarding a school’s uniform policy, they should contact the school. Schools must explain clearly on their website how they can be contacted. The guidance advises contacting the Department if someone is not satisfied with how their complaint has been handled. This guidance page is available at: https://www.gov.uk/school-uniform.

Digital Technology: Education

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve digital skills in schools.

Nick Gibb: Ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have the digital and computing knowledge they need for the future is a priority of this Government.The Department introduced computing as a statutory National Curriculum subject in 2014, to replace the subject of information and communications technology (ICT) which had been widely regarded as outdated. The computing curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils are taught how to evaluate and apply information technology and how digital systems work, alongside the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science and e safety. From Key Stage 1, pupils are taught how to write computer programs, and England was one of the first G20 countries to introduce coding into the primary curriculum.The GCSE and A level were reformed in 2016 and 2015 respectively, as part of the Department’s wider reform to establish a suite of qualifications which are in line with expected standards in countries with high performing education systems. There are also a range of high quality ICT related vocational and technical qualifications available that are counted in the Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 performance tables, providing alternative pathways for digital careers.The Department has established the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to support teachers of computing, backed by over £100 million of funding across November 2018 to August 2025. The NCCE provides free, high quality, continuing professional development and teaching resources through a network of over 30 computing hubs across England. To date, the NCCE’s achievements include equipping over 7,600 secondary teachers with the subject expertise they need to confidently teach the GCSE through the Computer Science Accelerator programme, and the launch of the Teach Computing Curriculum in July 2020, which consists of over 500 hours of teaching resources, which have been downloaded 1.6 million times by teachers in English schools.

Hearing Impairment: Teachers

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the number of teachers for people with hearing impairments in (a) Watford and (b) England.

Claire Coutinho: Information on the number of qualified teachers for people with hearing impairments is not collected by the department.Information on the school workforce in England is collected as part of the annual School Workforce Census each November. Information is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

Pre-school Education: Coastal Areas and Rural Areas

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children have access to high-quality early years (a) education and (b) childcare in (i) rural and (ii) seaside towns.

Claire Coutinho: The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare in all areas. We continue to work across government to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and accessible, and to encourage families to use government-funded support they are entitled to.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England and if a local authority raises concerns about sufficiency issues, we will support them with any specific requirements. At present, all local authorities report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. In 2021, the EYFS framework was reformed. An objective of these 2021 reforms was to improve early years outcomes for all children, particularly disadvantaged children, in the critical areas that build the foundations for later success, such as language development and literacy. A further objective was to reduce unnecessary assessment paperwork for practitioners and teachers so they can spend more valuable classroom time supporting children through rich curriculum activities.The government is investing up to £180 million in an early years education recovery package of training, qualifications, expert guidance and targeted support for the early years sector to support the learning and development of the youngest and most disadvantaged children.

Domestic Abuse

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of child and family social workers have been trained in assessing risk in cases of domestic abuse.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on the number of child and family social workers trained specifically in domestic abuse issues.

Claire Coutinho: Information on child and family social workers trained in assessing risk in cases of domestic abuse and those trained specifically in domestic abuse issues is not held centrally by the department.Information on children and family social workers is published in the annual Children's social work workforce statistics, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-s-social-work-workforce. The latest data for the year ending 30 September 2022 was published on 23 February 2023.This information is based on data collected in an annual census of local authorities in England. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/childrens-social-work-workforce-census-guide-to-submitting-data.

Fathers: Young People

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of single young fathers who have not taken up the Government childcare support to which they are entitled in each year since 2017.

Claire Coutinho: The department does not collect data on the characteristics of parents who do not take up the free early education entitlements.

Pre-school Education: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the recruitment and retention of early years practitioners in (a) Hull West and Hessle and (b) England.

Claire Coutinho: The department is working proactively with the sector and local authorities, including those in the Kingston upon Hull area, to build our understanding of the situation and how we might support the sector to attract more staff to work in early years education and childcare.​The government is providing a package of training, qualifications, expert guidance, and targeted support for the early years sector to help address existing recruitment and retention challenges, including providing additional funding for graduate level specialist training leading to early years teacher status and an accredited level 3 early years SENCO qualification. More information on the early years education recovery programme can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-education-recovery-programme.

Social Work: Training

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help increase the retention of social work practice educators.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the level of pay of Social Work Practice Educators on retention levels.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the average pay of a social work practice educator.

Claire Coutinho: The department is extremely grateful to social workers for their commitment to improving the lives of children and families every day. Practice Educators play a crucial role in the system, using their experience and expertise to support student social workers. That is why the regulator, Social Work England, has commissioned research to better understand how to support them in providing high quality placements.The department’s study of local authority child and family social workers provides information on retention in local authority child and family social work. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/longitudinal-study-of-local-authority-social-workers.Social worker pay is a local government matter and pay rises were agreed for all local government staff on 1 November 2022. Through the department’s planned reform to the Children’s Social Care system, set out in Stable Homes, Built on Love, published on 2 February, we will work to improve transparency on pay and progression for social workers. The department is also supporting local authority leaders to strengthen their recruitment and retention strategies, including the recruitment of up to 500 additional child and family social worker apprentices, consulting on national rules relating to agency social workers, addressing unnecessary workload drivers, and providing best practice tools on improving working conditions.

Schools: Buildings

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2022 to Question 61298 on Schools: Slough, whether her Department plans to publish the details of the Condition Data Collection survey.

Nick Gibb: The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and plans to publish it as soon as possible.

Arts and Technology: GCSE

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of school accountability measures on the uptake of (a) creative and (b) technical subjects at GCSE-level.

Nick Gibb: The Department is clear that all pupils should be taught a broad and balanced curriculum. The best schools combine creative and technical subjects with core academic subjects, and the Department is committed to ensuring that all pupils have access to both.The Department believes the best way to provide this academic core at Key Stage 4 is by encouraging most pupils to study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects, which are English language and literature, Mathematics, the sciences, geography or history, and a modern or ancient language. The EBacc was designed to be limited in size to allow pupils time to study other subjects.Two of our six headline measures, Progress 8 and Attainment 8, measure success in eight subjects, including English and Mathematics, three other EBacc subjects and three ‘open’ subjects. The latter provides scope for pupils to study any GCSE subjects or any other approved, high value qualifications.These include GCSEs in non-EBacc subjects, such as art and design, drama, music, design and technology, and food preparation and nutrition. They also include a wide range of technical awards from a list approved by the Department, including Level 1 and 2 qualifications that equip pupils with applied knowledge and practical skills not usually acquired through general education.The Department has made no specific assessment in relation to the impact of accountability measures on the uptake of GCSEs in creative or technical subjects. In response to the consultation on the EBacc, the Government published a report in 2017 on trends in arts subjects up to 2015/16 where EBacc entry had increased. At that time, the report showed little correlation between the change in EBacc entry and the change in the percentage of pupils entering at least one arts qualification in state funded mainstream schools.The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trends-in-arts-subjects-in-schools-with-increased-ebacc-entry.Since 2015/16, there may be additional impacts of more recent accountability policies on the uptake of a range of GCSEs, which have not been captured. The Department regularly publishes entry statistics for GCSEs and technical awards. Over the past four years, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils in state funded schools taking at least one arts GCSE between 2018/19 and 2021/22 has decreased from 44.5% to 42.0%. Over the same period the percentage taking at least one arts qualification (GCSE or technical award) has increased from 52.3% to 52.4%.

Childcare

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of childcare spaces in Britain; and how much additional funding her Department plans to allocate to childcare.

Claire Coutinho: The department understands that childcare is a key concern for parents, which is why we are committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare.To increase the choice and availability of childcare, the department announced a package of measures in July 2022. This included taking action to open up the childminder market to support childminders and halt the decline in numbers, giving more parents access to affordable, flexible childcare.The department also continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. Ofsted data shows that the number of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable at 1.3 million places since August 2015.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England, and if a local authority raises concerns about sufficiency issues, we will support it with any specific requirements. At present, all local authorities report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.In the 2021 Spending Review, the department announced additional funding for the early years entitlements of £160 million in the 2022/23 financial year, £180 million in 2023/24 and £170 million in 2024/25, compared to the 2021/22 financial year.In the 2023/24 financial year, we will invest an additional £20 million into early years funding, on top of the additional £180 million for 2023/24. Taken together, this will help support providers at a national level with the additional National Living Wage costs associated with delivering the free childcare entitlements next year.With the additional £20 million, local authorities are set to receive average funding increases of 3.4% for the 3- and 4-year-old free childcare entitlements and 4% for the 2- year-old entitlement, compared to their 2022/23 rates.The department has again increased the Early Years Pupil Premium, which for 2023/24 will provide up to £353 per eligible child per year to support better outcomes for disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds. Additionally, we have increased the Disability Access Fund, which will be worth at least £828 per eligible child per year.The department continues to engage with sector stakeholders and local authorities to monitor dynamics within local markets, parents’ access to the government’s entitlements and the childcare they require, and the sustainability of the sector.

Work Experience

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the number of (a) internship and (b) graduate scheme opportunities advertised to students by universities.

Robert Halfon: All students, regardless of their background, should benefit from high quality, world-leading higher education (HE) that leads to excellent outcomes. The department is committed to tackling low-quality courses and ensuring that students and the taxpayer see returns on their investment.The Office for Students (OfS) introduced a revised condition of registration B3 in October 2022, which sets stringent minimum thresholds for student outcomes. This includes requirements for the proportion of students that progress on to positive graduate destinations such as professional or managerial employment.HE providers are independent and autonomous, and have freedom over the methods used to support students to progress and achieve their goals. Internships and graduate scheme opportunities play a valuable role in preparing students for their careers. Degree apprenticeships also provide a route to professional qualifications.   All registered providers are required to meet the OfS’s condition of registration. Where the OfS finds that a provider has breached a condition of registration, it will take the required action.

Food: Pre-school Education

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to introduce sensory food play in the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.

Claire Coutinho: The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to age five.There are no current plans to add any mandatory requirements regarding sensory food education into the EYFS.The department has published an article promoting sensory food education on the ‘Help for early years providers’ online platform, which is a resource for childminders, nursery leaders and pre-school practitioners. This supports practitioners to look at incorporating sensory food education into their practice, while delivering the statutory EYFS requirements. The article is available at: https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/get-help-to-improve-your-practice/sensory-food-education.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) pay rises for staff and (b) increases in energy costs without additional funding on the financial viability of schools for children with special educational needs.

Nick Gibb: ​The Government has been taking careful account of the effect of pay awards for teachers and other staff, energy costs, and other inflationary pressures on school budgets. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement last November announced £2 billion in additional funding for schools.​​Taking the Dedicated Schools Grant allocations and the additional funding announced in the Autumn Statement together, core schools funding (which includes funding for both mainstream schools and special schools) is increasing by £3.5 billion in 2023/24, compared to 2022/23. The core schools budget will total £57.3 billion in 2023/24 and £58.8 billion in 2024/25.​​The Institute of Fiscal Studies have said that this additional funding will fully cover expected increases in school costs up to 2024 and will take spending per pupil back to at least 2010 levels in real terms. This means 2024/25 will be the highest ever level of spending on schools in real terms per pupil.​​The additional funding following the Autumn Statement will be allocated to mainstream schools through the new Mainstream Schools Additional Grant (MSAG) in 2023/24, which will be on top of schools’ core funding allocations. A typical primary school with 200 pupils will receive approximately £35,000 in additional funding through the MSAG, and a typical secondary school with 900 pupils approximately £200,000.​​The Autumn Statement funding will also mean that special schools will receive increases in funding of 3.4%, similar to the average level of increase for mainstream schools, through their local authority. Schools will have flexibility over how they use the additional funding to support their pupils. It will help schools to manage higher costs, including pay awards and higher energy bills.​​With regard to energy costs, a new energy scheme for businesses, charities, and the public sector was also confirmed on 9 January, ahead of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme ending in March. The new scheme will mean all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users, including schools, will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024. This is on top of the additional investment in core schools funding announced in the Autumn Statement.​​The Department knows that every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their Local Authority in the case of maintained schools or the Education and Skills Funding Agency if they are an academy.

Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what educational support is in place for visually impaired students in (a) Watford and (b) England.

Claire Coutinho: I refer my hon. Friend, the member for Watford to the answer I gave on 13 February 2023 to Question 140375.

Ministry of Justice

Parental Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of parenting orders issued in each year since 2010.

Mike Freer: Youth offending teams (YOTs) assess children engaging in or at risk of offending behaviour and determine whether parenting programmes or parenting contracts are needed to improve the guidance provided by parents and guardians to their children. The number of parenting orders issued by courts in England and Wales has declined steadily over the last ten years. As an alternative to parenting orders YOTs often prefer where possible to engage and build strong relationships with parents on a voluntary basis. Parents often engage readily and take part in specific parenting support activities.The 2016 David Lammy review of racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system highlighted that YOTs lack confidence in the efficacy of parenting orders and discourage their use.The number of parenting orders issued in each year since 2010 is as follows:Year ending MarchNumber of parenting orders20101,0872011937201278520136092014371201528020162512017214201813220191172020103202131202227

Secure Accommodation: Public Expenditure

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much public money was spent by his Department on the procurement of places in secure children’s homes in calendar year 2022; how many secure children’s home beds were available on average each month as a result of that spending; and how many of those beds were in use on average each month in calendar year 2022.

Damian Hinds: In 2022, the Ministry of Justice spent £26,079,233 to procure 107 beds in Secure Children’s Homes. The attached table shows a monthly breakdown of spend and available beds. Not all Secure Children’s Home beds are for the Ministry of Justice.Table (xlsx, 16.5KB)

Parole Board: Police

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure Parole Board panellists have policing backgrounds.

Damian Hinds: The Parole Board makes very difficult assessments of risk and needs a diverse range of expertise and experience among its members. Our Root and Branch Review of 2022 therefore included a proposal to ensure law enforcement members sit on ‘top tier’ parole cases, which we will implement as soon as parliamentary time allows. We launched a recruitment campaign on 16 February 2023 to recruit around 25 panel members with law enforcement experience. This will almost double the existing number and will increase the overall proportion of panel members with law enforcement experience from 8% to 16%. Recruiting more members with law enforcement backgrounds will add to the wealth of expertise amongst current Parole Board members, by first-hand, frontline experience of dealing with offenders, something that is key to assessing the risk presented by a prisoner.

Prisoners: Pay

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were paid at least the minimum employed rate under prison service order 4460 for participating in (i) induction, (ii) training, (iii) offending behaviour programmes and (iv) education in public sector prisons in the latest period for which data is available.

Damian Hinds: The breakdown of information requested is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. Prisoners’ Pay policy guidance is provided in Prison Service Order 4460. The Prison Service sets the national minimum rates of pay but the rates of pay which operate in prison establishments are a matter for local management. Local pay rates reflect the prisoner population needs, the type of prison and regime in operation, and the paid activity available.

Prisoners: Pay

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to prison service order 4460, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners received (i) unemployment, (ii) employment, (iii) short-term sickness, (iv) long-term sickness and retirement, (v) maternity leave or caring for children and (vi) outside hospital allowance pay in public sector prisons in the latest period for which data is available.

Damian Hinds: The breakdown of information requested is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. Prisoners’ Pay policy guidance is provided in Prison Service Order 4460. The Prison Service sets the national minimum rates of pay but the rates of pay which operate in prison establishments are a matter for local management. Local pay rates reflect the prisoner population needs, the type of prison and regime in operation, and the paid activity available.

Powers of Attorney: Dementia

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2023 to Question 140347 on Powers of Attorney: Dementia, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the associated legal costs of obtaining a lasting power of attorney for people with dementia and diminished capacity who require a court order.

Mike Freer: The Government is supporting the Powers of Attorney Bill, a Private Members Bill, which seeks to make the process of making and registering a lasting power of attorney safer, easier and more sustainable. During January and February 2023, the court introduced digital systems to make property and affairs deputyship applications to the court easier. The improvements planned for the LPA service and in the Court of Protection aim to make things easier for people, so they feel able to go through the process independently without the involvement of a legal professional should they wish.

Criminal Proceedings: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate his Department has made of the size of the backlog of criminal court cases in Portsmouth South constituency; and what steps he plans to take to reduce the backlog.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve processing times in Portsmouth South constituency for cases involving violent and sexual offences.

Mike Freer: A breakdown of the number of outstanding cases by region is published quarterly (accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2022). We do not measure the number of criminal cases by constituency.There will always be outstanding cases in the courts as these figures include cases that are being prepared to be heard in the courts. Pre-pandemic in December 2019, the outstanding caseload was 38,400, well within the range of 33,000 to 55,000 over the last decade. We are taking decisive action to reduce the Crown Court backlog. We are recruiting up to 1,000 judges across all jurisdictions in 2022/23 and have removed the limit on sitting days in the Crown Court for the second financial year in a row which will enable us to sit at maximum capacity. We have also recently announced the continued use of 24 Nightingale courtrooms into the 2023/24 financial year. It remains our priority to deliver swifter justice for victims. We are implementing the £1.3 billion Court Reform programme, which aims to make our court processes more efficient. We are also working with the Crown Court Improvement Group (CCIG), a judicially led consultative body which has been established with the purpose of improving the efficiency of the Crown Court.

Courts: Fines

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the total value of court fines that have been written off in each year since 2010.

Mike Freer: The table below details the net value of the fine element of an imposition that has been administratively written off/ (written back) for each financial year from 2010-11 to 2021-22. Judicial cancellations are not included as these are a direct instruction from the court to amend the value of the imposition.Financial yearNet fine impositions written off/ (written back) in each year £0002010-1138,6852011-1248,8022012-1353,6632013-1468,2142014-1545,3452015-1629,7282016-17(17,728)2017-18(44,441)2018-19(8,332)2019-209,4582020-218,7972021-228,480 Financial penalties imposed by the courts will often consist of multiple elements including, amongst others, compensation, victim surcharge, prosecutor’s costs and a fine. The Government takes the recovery and enforcement of all financial impositions very seriously and remains committed to ensuring impositions are paid. The courts will do everything within their powers to trace those who do not pay and use a variety of sanctions to ensure the recovery of criminal fines and financial penalties. In very limited scenarios HMCTS may decide to administratively write-off the debt, the circumstances in which this can happen are severely restricted and occur only when there is no opportunity for the debt to be collected, for example, when a company has been dissolved with no distributable assets. The debt is written off for administrative purposes only, the imposition is still legally enforceable and if in the future it becomes apparent that assets are available to pay the debt then the account is written back. In 2016-17, HMCTS commenced a project to enforce accounts that had previously been written off, this resulted in a period of three financial years where a large number of accounts were written back. There also remain specific and limited situations where the Court can legally cancel any debt.

Rape: Reviews

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing the actions set out in the report entitled End-to-End Rape Review Report on Findings and Actions.

Edward Argar: The End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan (published June 2021) set out a public ambition to more than double the number of adult rape cases reaching court by the end of this Parliament.It is positive to see that we are making steady and sustained progress on this ambition and that we are currently on-track to reach our ambition for all three Rape Review metrics, with the latest figures (Jul – Sep 2022) showing a continued increase in the number of adult rape referrals, charges, and Crown Court receipts:There were 999 total police referrals, up by 117% compared to the quarterly average in 2019 (461), when the Rape Review was commissioned.There were 473 CPS charges, up by 94% compared to the 2019 quarterly average (244).There were 467 Crown Court receipts, up by 102% compared to the 2019 quarterly average (231).The number of people convicted of an adult rape offence also went up by 65 percent over the past year (from 323 in the year to June 2021 to 532 in the year to June 2022). Compared to the pre-pandemic year, convictions are up by 41 percent (from 377 in the year to June 2019 to 532 in the year to June 2022).We are continuing to deliver the Action Plan by:Launching a new 24/7 support line for victims of rape and sexual abuse on 7 December 2022, meaning every victim can now access free, confidential emotional support whenever and wherever they need it.Completed the rollout of pre-recorded cross-examination for victims of sexual and modern slavery offences to all Crown Courts in England and Wales in September 2022. This will spare victims the glare of a live courtroom trial.The Police and Crown Prosecution Service are rolling out a new investigatory model for rape, which focuses on the suspect’s - rather than the victim’s - behaviour, called Operation Soteria. This has begun operating across nineteen police forces, with a national rollout ready from June 2023. In December 2022 we published an independent academic report outlining initial findings from the first year of the Operation.Announcing the start of a Specialist Sexual Violence Support project in three Crown Courts centres in Leeds, Newcastle, and Snaresbrook London. This project is aimed squarely at doing better by victims; ensuring that they have the support they need at the court stage and get the justice they deserve.Introducing a raft of measures to speed up justice for victims and improve their experience in the justice system since the start of the pandemic, including unlimited sitting days, Nightingale courts and increasing Magistrates’ Courts sentencing powers.Publishing the response to the Home Office consultation on police requests for third party material on 20 January 2023, which included a commitment to legislate, when Parliamentary time allows, to ensure all police requests, including counselling notes, are necessary and proportionate.Recommissioning the Rape and Sexual Abuse Fund, with the grant funding competition opening on 13 January 2023.More than quadrupling victims funding by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10, which will enable us to increase the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advisors by 300 to over 1,000 – a 43% increase over the next three years.Continuing to publish regular iterations of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) Delivery Data Dashboard, previously named the CJS scorecard, to increase transparency, increase understanding of the justice system and support collaboration, particularly at a local level through Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs).We have recruited 16,753 officers as part of the Police Uplift Programme as of January 2023 and we are on track to recruit 20,000 by 31 March 2023.In the last financial year CPS RASSO units have increased by 20% (from 360 to 433 FTE). The CPS are committed to recruiting an additional 194 RASSO staff in 2022/2023 and have delivered over 100 RASSO legal training courses, attended by over 1000 CPS colleagues.We regularly publish our progress on delivery of the action plan, through six-monthly progress updates, with the most recent report being published in December 2022. The next report is due to be published in June 2023.

Rape: Prosecutions

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of prosecutions for rape; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan and we are seeing steady and sustained progress on our ambitions to increase the number of adult rape cases being referred, charged, and received at the Crown Court.According to the latest data (Jul – Sep 2022) we are on-track to reach our ambition for all three metrics:There were 999 total police referrals, up by 117% compared to the quarterly average in 2019 (461), when the Rape Review was commissioned.There were 473 CPS charges, up by 94% compared to the 2019 quarterly average (244).There were 467 Crown Court receipts, up by 102% compared to the 2019 quarterly average (231).We have also seen increases in the number of people prosecuted for an adult rape offence, which went up by 15% over the past year (from 1,193 in the year to June 2021 to 1,371 in the year to June 2022) and by 62% compared to the pre-pandemic year (from 848 in the year to June 2019).We are determined to go further for rape victims so that more victims of rape get the justice they deserve and more rapists are taken off our streets.We regularly publish updates on the progress we are making through the six-monthly progress reports. We have published three of these reports (in December 2021, June 2022, and December 2022), with the next report due to be published in June 2023. The December 2022 Progress Report was already announced in the House through a written ministerial statement.

Prisoners' Transfers

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been transferred from the male estate to the female estate in each year since 2004.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners convicted of sexual offences have transferred from the male estate to the female estate since 2010.

Damian Hinds: Our records on transfers from the men’s estate to the women’s estate start in 2016. In each year since then, 5 or fewer (including 0) prisoners were transferred from the men’s estate to the women’s estate.Since 2016, 5 or fewer (including 0) prisoners convicted of a sexual offence as their principal offence had been transferred from the men’s estate to the women’s estate.Data disclosure rules mean that where the answer to a question would disclose a number of prisoners which is 5 or fewer, this figure must be suppressed as it could be used to identify individuals.

Rape: Prisoners

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners who have been convicted of rape are housed in the female estate; and how many and what proportion of those prisoners are in possession of a gender recognition certificate.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to monitor prisoners housed in the female estate who have been convicted of (a) rape and (b) other sexual offences against women.

Damian Hinds: The number of prisoners in the women’s estate convicted of rape can be found in the mid-year prison population detailed characteristics published in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly, in Table 1.5i found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1094517/Population_30June2022_Annual.ods.To note that under English law, accessories to a crime are charged as principal offenders, and therefore biological women can be convicted of rape. Data disclosure rules mean we cannot disclose whether any of these prisoners have gender recognition certificates, as the answer is 5 or fewer (including 0).HMPPS have a range of processes in place to manage the risk posed by prisoners convicted of sexual offences, including through structured risk assessments, security measures in prisons such as cell sharing risk assessments, sentence planning and offending behaviour programmes and interventions.

Prisoners' Release: Drugs

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he had made of the potential merits of requiring that health support workers are the first point of contact for prison leavers with substance dependency; and what steps he is taking to provide these leavers with timely access to health services.

Damian Hinds: It is vital that all prisoners and prison leavers with a substance dependency can access timely and high-quality treatment to recover from the misuse that drives offending, with dedicated staff in place to ensure continuity of the appropriate support and treatment once someone is released. We work closely with the NHS, Department for Health and Social Care and the Welsh Government to make this possible.The Ministry of Justice is investing up to £120m over the next three-years to keep drugs out of prisons and get offenders off drugs and into recovery. This includes focusing on prison in-reach by providing prisoners with the opportunity to engage with community treatment pre-release via video calling, and recruiting Health and Justice Coordinators in every probation region to improve links between prison and local treatment services, ensuring continuity of care upon release.

Prisoners: Employment

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were engaged in prison work (i) to produce goods and services to be sold on the (A) open and (B) public sector internal market and (ii) to maintain or service the prison through (1) cleaning, (2) food preparation, (3) maintenance work and (4) other tasks and (iii) in none of the categories listed above in each of the last five years.

Damian Hinds: We are not able to provide the information in the formats requested, because some parts are not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As data for work in custody were not collected during the period affected by the pandemic, the latest data published on numbers working in prisons is contained in the HMPPS Annual Digest 2019/20 (publishing.service.gov.uk). We are committed to delivering purposeful activity within prisons. Governors have flexibility to deliver balanced regimes that maintain an appropriate level of time out of cell on a range of activities such as education and employment, with a strong focus on reducing re-offending. The Prisons Strategy White Paper - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) sets out the Government’s commitment to prison regime reform.

Prisoners: Compensation

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the value of compensation paid to prisoners who have been held in prisons following court orders for their release in each year since 2010.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners being held in prison following court orders for their release.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who have been held in prison following court orders for their release in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: This information cannot not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Afghanistan: Refugees

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of teachers who worked for the British Council and are eligible for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme who have not been evacuated from Afghanistan.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many teachers who worked for the British Council and are eligible for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme have been evacuated to the UK since August 2021.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department provides for teachers who worked for the British Council and are eligible for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme who have not been evacuated from Afghanistan.

Leo Docherty: Eligible at-risk British Council contractors, Chevening alumni and GardaWorld contractors who expressed interest in Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) are being considered for resettlement, along with their dependents. We have allocated over 1000 of the 1500 places available in the first year of Pathway 3, subject to security checks. FCDO are notifying those who have completed initial security checks and providing advice on next steps. Some eligible individuals and their families have arrived in third countries, where they are offered accommodation and support from the International Organisation for Migration. We do not comment on individual cohort numbers while expressions of interest are being processed and security checks are outstanding. We look forward to welcoming the first arrivals to the UK under Pathway 3 as soon as practicable.

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the security situation for Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan.

Leo Docherty: Protecting freedom of religion or belief for minority communities continues to be central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 30 January. On 9 January, Minister of State for Development Andrew Mitchell raised this issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to engage at a senior level with government representatives and civil society, including on recent attacks on Ahmadi mosques.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue for work to counter disinformation since 2019; whether this funding is ongoing; and from which unit of his Department the funding comes.

Leo Docherty: Information on this is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Open Information Partnership

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided to the Open Information Partnership since 2019; whether this funding is ongoing; and from which unit of his Department the funding comes.

Leo Docherty: The Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme, managed by the Russia Department, Eastern Europe, Central Asia Directorate, FCDO has provided £12.75 million to the Open Information Partnership between 2018-2021. Funding is sourced from HMG's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and is continuing in the current financial year.

Disinformation

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has spent on countering disinformation in each of the last four years.

Leo Docherty: Information on the full range and scope of spend is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Disinformation poses a threat to UK interests across a number of fields and Russia has weaponised information to distrust the truth about Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Kathleen Poole

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if will make representations to the Swedish authorities on the potential deportation of Kathleen Poole from that country.

Leo Docherty: Consular officials have been supporting the family of Ms Kathleen Poole since 31 January. On 2 February this case was raised during my meeting with the State Secretary to the Minister for EU Affairs, and on the 15 February by His Majesty's Ambassador to Sweden with the Swedish Authorities. Swedish Immigration laws are a matter for the Swedish Government and the FCDO cannot interfere in laws of another country, just as we would not expect them to interfere in ours.

Disinformation

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which (a) companies, (b) think tanks, (c) NGOs and (d) other organisations his Department has provided funding to help counter disinformation in the the last three years.

Leo Docherty: FCDO works with a range of allies and organisations to strengthen our collective ability to counter and expose disinformation.

Iran: Russia

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that Iran is preparing to supply Russia with short-range ballistic missiles to be used against Ukraine.

David Rutley: The UK condemns Iranian support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine and has made this clear to Iran. Iran's supply of drones violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the supply of ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a significant escalation. We support Ukraine's request for a UN investigation into the Iranian transfers and have repeatedly raised the issue of transfers at the UN, most recently on 19 December alongside both France and Germany. The UK also adopted new sanctions in October and December alongside the EU against Iranian individuals and entities involved in these transfers.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2022 to Question 102994 on Bahrain: Political Prisoners, what progress has been made on the human rights of (a) Hassan Mushaima, (b) Abduljalil al-Singace, (c) Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, (d) Abdulwahab Husain, (e) Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, (f) Mohammed Ramadhan and (g) Husain Moosa following the Foreign Secretary's meetings on 19 and 20 November 2022.

David Rutley: The FCDO continues to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain closely, including some individual cases. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, recently raised a range of human rights concerns during his visit to Bahrain on Sunday 12 February.

Iran: Russia

Nicola Richards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent reports that Iran is assisting Russia with building a factory in Russia capable of building 6,000 Iranian-designed drones.

David Rutley: The UK has repeatedly raised Iran's deplorable support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, including at the UN Security Council on 19 October and 19 December. Russia is using drones supplied by Iran to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Iran's transfers of drones to Russia violates UN Security Council Resolution 2231; this resolution also prohibits the transfer of some equipment and technologies without prior permission from the UN Security Council. On 20 October and 13 December, the UK imposed sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities involved in transfers, including against the Iranian officials cited in the reports referred to.

Hasan Mushaima

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his counterparts in Bahrain on medical treatment for Mr Hasan Mushaima.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the National Institute of Human Rights on medical treatment for Mr Hasan Mushaima.

David Rutley: We continue to follow and discuss the case of Hasan Mushaima and others with the Bahraini Government, as well as with the independent oversight bodies. We encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on spending £11.6 billion of international climate finance between the 2021-22 and 2025-26 financial years.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department will provide for (a) mitigation, (b) adaptation and (c) other international climate finance in each of the next three financial years.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the £11.6 billion of international climate finance his Department will distribute between the 2021-22 and 2025-26 financial years was distributed in the 2021-22 financial year.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the £11.6 billion International Climate Finance commitment was distributed in financial year 2022-23.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK is delivering on our commitment to spend £11.6 billion International Climate Finance (ICF) between 2021/22 and 2025/26 including £3 billion on development solutions that protect and restore nature and balanced between support for adaptation and mitigation. In line with our international obligations our ICF spending is published through the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The most recent data can be found here UK's Eighth National Communication and Fifth Biennial Report under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) the next report, which will cover ICF spent in 2021 and 2022 is due at the end of 2024.

Ryan Cornelius

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-third session, reference A/HRC/WGAD/2022/19, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that Ryan Cornelius is arbitrarily detained in the United Arab Emirates.

David Rutley: The FCDO takes the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention seriously. FCDO Ministers and officials regularly raise Mr Cornelius' case with the UAE authorities, most recently on 7 February 2023 during a visit to the UAE by the FCDO's Consular Director. Mr Cornelius' case was also raised on 6 July 2022 by the then Minister for Asia and the Middle East, Amanda Milling, with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Gargash. Consular staff are in regular contact with Mr Cornelius and his family and are providing him with ongoing support.

Hassan Al Rabea

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made any representations to representatives of the Moroccan Government on the potential deportation of Hassan Al Rabea to Saudi Arabia.

David Rutley: Mr Al-Rabea was extradited from Morocco to Saudi Arabia on Monday 6 February. The UK regularly engages with Morocco at all levels and engages in frank discussions across a wide variety of subjects, including human rights, as we also do with Saudi Arabia.

Qatar: Manchester United

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any officials, advisers or ministers from his Department have held discussions with representatives of (a) the Qatari government, (b) the consortium led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani or (c) Manchester United Football Club on that consortium's proposed takeover of that club.

David Rutley: While we are aware of interest to purchase the club, neither FCDO Ministers or Officials have held meetings with the Government of Qatar, the consortium led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, or Manchester United Football Club to discuss the takeover of the club. This is a matter for the owners and potential purchasers to resolve, including meeting any relevant requirement of the league in which they compete.

Israeli Settlements

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the legalisation of nine settlement outposts on 12 February 2023.

David Rutley: The UK's position on settlements is clear, as set out in a statement made by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, and the Secretary of State of the US on 14 February. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We urge Israel to halt its settlement expansion. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, set out this message during a call with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on Thursday 16 February.

Developing Countries: Education

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) recent steps and (b) funding his Department has provided to ensure that children across the world have access to education.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Ensuring 12 years of quality education for all children is an FCDO priority. We have made significant investments through global funds to achieve this, pledging £430 million to the Global Partnership for Education in 2021, as well as £80 million to Education Cannot Wait in February 2023 and £10 million for projects to support education in emergencies. Last year we launched the Commitment to Action on foundational learning to reduce learning poverty by 50 percent by 2030. We run bilateral education programmes in 19 countries and our Girls' Education Challenge programme has given 1.6 million marginalised girls access to quality education.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has recently had with his counterpart in Rwanda on M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what steps he is taking to work with his international counterparts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

David Rutley: The UK, alongside international partners, continues to raise the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with the Government of Rwanda at the highest levels. On January 10, I [Minister Mitchell] discussed with the Rwandan Foreign Minister the importance of meeting commitments made under the Nairobi and Luanda political processes. It is vital that all parties work together to secure real de-escalation on the ground and an enduring political solution. The UK has committed funding support to the Nairobi political process to this end.

Zimbabwe: Human Rights and Politics and Government

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his polices of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Bill for democracy and human rights in Zimbabawe.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is monitoring the progress through [Zimbabwe's] parliament of so-called "patriotic" amendments to Zimbabwe's criminal code, which could be used to target critics of the state, if passed into law. We regularly raise human rights issues, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, with the Government of Zimbabwe, in concert with other embassies. The former Minister for Africa [Vicky Ford MP] discussed these issues with Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister [Frederick Shava] last June and our Ambassador publicly underlined the UK's commitment to the right to peaceful assembly and association on 2 October.

Developing Countries: Females

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department will provide for the women and girls strategy in the 2023-24 financial year; and whether he plans to publish an equalities impact assessment on the reduction in the level of Official Development Assistance since 2020.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We will shortly launch the Women and Girls Strategy, setting out our commitments to stand up and speak out for women and girls. The Strategy's focus extends beyond ODA and is not expected to provide a 2023/24 funding target.Women and girls, as a major theme within the International Development Strategy, remain a UK priority. We aim to maximise the impact of ODA, alongside other mechanisms, to support the lives of vulnerable people. Decisions on funding allocations are ongoing, including consideration of the impact on equalities. We are committed to transparency and will consider sharing further information on completion.

Martha Chizuma

Sir James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Malawi on the treatment and work of Martha Chizuma, Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau Director.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK endorses the President of Malawi's commitment to fight corruption in Malawi. We welcome the reversal of the decision to suspend the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Martha Chizuma, after criminal charges against her were dropped. The UK provides technical assistance to Malawian law enforcement agencies, such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau, to help increase their capacity to pursue cases linked to serious corruption.

Equatorial Guinea: Marburg Virus

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) trajectory and (b) potential risks of the Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea; and what steps his Department is taking to support the response to that outbreak.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: On 13 February, Equatorial Guinea confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD). We assess that MVD is a serious, disruptive, socially threatening and often deadly disease. The risk of wider spread will depend on a number of factors and should be managed similarly to Ebola. We are in touch with international partners and are monitoring the effectiveness of the response by local authorities and the World Health Organisation.

Syria: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) civilians and (b) Syrian Democratic Forces who have been killed by drone attacks in the Rojava region of Syria in the last 12 months.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the drone attack in Kobane, Syria, on 12 February 2023.

David Rutley: The UK Government continues to closely monitor developments in northern Syria and recognises the loss and injury to innocent victims. While we do not have authoritative estimates of casualties, we engage directly with partners to encourage restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria - including in the wake of the 6 February earthquake - and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to work with his international counterparts to support work towards a lasting peace in Yemen.

David Rutley: We are clear that a political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. There is no military solution to the conflict. We encourage all parties to continue engaging with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to find a peaceful solution. We use our role as penholder on Yemen at the UN Security Council, alongside our international partners, to help move the Yemen peace process forward. On February 15, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met Mohammed al-Jabr, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Yemen and there are further ministerial engagements being held in the coming days and weeks.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of when negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory with the Mauritian government will conclude.

David Rutley: The negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory / the Chagos Archipelago will continue over the coming months.

Iran: Russia

Mark Jenkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that Iran Air is allegedly transporting armed drones from Iran to Russia.

David Rutley: The UK has identified and raised the issue of Iran's deplorable support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine repeatedly, including at the UN Security Council on 19 October and 19 December 2022. Regardless of the method of transport, the provision of these drones is in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231. On 20 October and 13 December, the UK adopted new sanctions alongside the EU against Iranian individuals and entities involved in these transfers. We will continue to identify Iran's malign activity and hold the regime to account through our words and our actions.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether other countries have been represented (a) officially and (b) as observers in the negotiations with the Mauritian government on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

David Rutley: The negotiations are held in private on a bilateral basis between the UK and Mauritius.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Polisario Front

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps allegedly supplied surface-to-air missiles to the Polisario Front.

David Rutley: The UK condemns the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) destabilising activity, including its weapon proliferation to non-state actors, wherever it occurs. The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the activities of the IRGC, which itself is sanctioned in its entirety. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara and continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation and swiftly re-engage with the UN-led political process, including a return to a ceasefire.

Azerbaijan: Overseas Investment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to (a) withdraw or (b) reduce the Government-funded investments in Azerbaijan.

Leo Docherty: The FCDO has no knowledge of any Government-funded investments in Azerbaijan.

Chad: Israel

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has the Department made of the potential impact of the establishment of the Chad embassy in Israel.

David Rutley: The UK welcomes the establishment of the Chadian embassy in Israel. We continue to encourage cooperation between those countries with whom Israel does not yet have diplomatic relations to recognise the economic, cultural and security benefits of cooperation with Israel.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the long term effect of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on the economy of that region; and what steps his Department is taking to help support that economy.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK responded immediately to provide life-saving support to the people of Turkey and Syria.As we move out of the emergency response phase, the UK will continue to stand in solidarity with Turkey and Syria and continue to look at what more we can do to support the recovery effort.In Syria, the additional support the UK is providing will supplement our existing support. Since 2012, the UK has provided over £3.8 billion to the regional Syria Crisis, our largest response to a single humanitarian crisis. Our response to the earthquake in Syria will continue to focus on providing urgent life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to those in need.

Seas and Oceans: Treaties

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the resumed fifth session of the intergovernmental conference on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, if the Government will support enabling the Conference of Parties of any high seas treaty to create marine protected areas.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.

Ilois: Finance

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much of the £40m Chagossian Support Package has been distributed to the Chagossian community (a) in the UK and (b) abroad in each year since the fund was announced in 2016.

David Rutley: A full breakdown of Chagossian Support Package spend is available on gov.uk.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chagossian-support-package-projects-list

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Fenethylline

Tom Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is involved in the trafficking of Captagon across the Middle East.

David Rutley: The production and smuggling of captagon is a multi-billion dollar trade, essentially emanating from Assad-regime control within Syria. This trade is destabilising the region and provides illicit revenue to multiple malign actors, notably the Assad regime and its co-conspirators, including Hizballah and other Iranian-backed militias. The UK has drawn international attention to this (through an intervention at the UN Security Council on 25 January) and increased our cooperation with regional states to combat this. We have made clear our concerns about the malign activity of Hizballah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both organisations we have sanctioned in their entirety.

Cayman Islands: Wetlands

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) the Office of the Governor of the Cayman Islands or (b) his Department has (i) title to or (ii) direct interest in land in the Central Mangrove Wetland of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.

David Rutley: Neither the Office of the Governor of the Cayman Islands nor his department has title to or direct interest in the land in the Central Mangrove Wetland of Grand Cayman.

Seas and Oceans: Treaties

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proposals his Department will be making for the proposed High Seas Biodiversity Treaty; and if she will make a statement.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.

Iran: Detainees

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure the release and return to the UK of British dual nationals who are unlawfully detained in Iran.

David Rutley: The FCDO provides consular support to the families of dual British nationals detained in Iran when they request our support. It remains in Iran's gift to release any British National who has been unfairly detained and we urge the Government of Iran to stop its practice of unfairly detaining British and other foreign nationals. We will continue to work with like-minded partners to that end.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support those affected by the recent earthquake in (a) Turkey and (b) Syria.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK responded immediately to provide live-saving support to Turkey and Syria. A UK International Search and Rescue team arrived in Gaziantep on 7 February and commenced operations within the critical 72-hour rescue window. From 14 February, we deployed a world-class UK medical team, field clinic and field hospital to Turkey, which continues to treat patients. In Syria, the UK-aid-funded White Helmets mobilised a major search and rescue effort. We have dispatched thousands of vital items including tents and blankets to Turkey and Syria. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, now exceeding £93 million, includes £5 million of the UK Aid Match. On 19 February I visited Turkey to witness first-hand the impact of UK aid, helping those affected in Turkey and Syria.

Seas and Oceans: Treaties

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to agree a global high seas treaty that includes a legally-binding mechanism for the designation of marine protected areas on the high seas before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.

Syria and Turkey: Earthquakes

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish guidance on how search and rescue groups in the UK can support efforts to rescue people trapped following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have published guidance on GOV.UK to advise people on how they can best provide support. We advise people who would like to help to donate cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, such as the DEC joint Turkey-Syria earthquake appeal, which supports British aid organisations in the region. The government is providing £5 million in match funding to the DEC appeal. The UK International Search and Rescue team deployed to Turkey on 7 February and worked around the clock to rescue people trapped under the rubble. The team have now completed rescue operations and returned to the UK.(Turkey and Syria earthquakes: what you can do to help - GOV.UK)(https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal)

Brazil: Politics and Government

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Brazilian counterpart on the attack on the Brazilian Congress in January 2023.

David Rutley: The UK was quick to condemn the attacks on Brazil's Congress, Presidential Palace and Supreme Court on 8 January. I [Minister Rutley] joined the Prime Minister and our Ambassador to Brazil in confirming the UK's full support for President Lula and the Government of Brazil and reiterated this when I met with Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, on 17 February. We discussed the attacks and agreed on the importance of protecting democracy. The UK has a deep and longstanding relationship with Brazil based on shared commitments to human rights, democracy and the rule of law and we look forward to working with President Lula and his government to further strengthen our relationship.

Turkey: Earthquakes

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Government has committed to spend to support victims of the Kahramanmaras earthquake.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has now committed more than £43 million in aid funding to address humanitarian needs in Turkey and Syria. This is funding additional emergency relief, including tents and blankets and the ongoing deployment of UK medical expertise through the joint FCDO-MoD Field Hospital in Turkoglu. The UK committed £5 million to the DEC Joint Appeal for Turkey and Syria, which has raised over £93 million. On 9 February, the UK announced that it has committed an additional £4.3million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, to aid the White Helmets major search-and-rescue operations in Syria. To date the UK has delivered over 400 tonnes of relief items to both Turkey and Syria.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help improve the (a) transparency and (b) reporting of international climate finance.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Details of all programmes funded through UK International Climate Finance (ICF) are published on the development tracker website (Development Tracker (fcdo.gov.uk)), an ICF filter has been made available in order to support greater transparency. In addition, we publish an annual report setting out the results that we have achieved through our ICF (UK Climate Finance results 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)). We continue to work with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and other partners to improve the consistency and quality of global ICF reporting.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Minimum Wage

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has contracted work to a business named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last three years.

David Rutley: Details of Government contracts from 2016 above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. Publications include early engagement, future opportunities, and opportunities.

Arctic

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help promote stability and prosperity in the Arctic region.

David Rutley: The Government published the UK's new Arctic Policy Framework, 'Looking North', on 9 February. 'Looking North' sets out how the UK will work with partners in the Arctic, including to preserve the security and stability of the region, and to promote our shared prosperity.The Arctic matters to the UK: we are its nearest neighbour, and its climate, environment, security and prosperity are crucial to our own. The UK remains committed to the long-term stability of the Arctic. We aim for a prosperous Arctic, where economic and commercial development is achieved in a way that is safe, responsible and sustainable.

Seas and Oceans: Treaties

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to agree a global high seas treaty that includes a legally-binding mechanism for the designation of marine protected areas on the high seas before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with international counterparts to agree a global high seas treaty before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many civil servants have been involved in the delegation conducting negotiations with the Mauritian government on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

David Rutley: The UK delegation is currently made up of 7 civil servants. Staffing numbers can fluctuate depending on the topics covered.

Seas and Oceans: Treaties

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to agree a global high seas treaty that includes a legally-binding mechanism for the designation of marine protected areas on the high seas before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with international counterparts to agree a global high seas treaty before the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference to negotiate a new Implementing Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) resumed at the UN on 20 February. The UK strongly supports the conclusion of an ambitious agreement at these negotiations and is working hard with international partners to achieve that outcome, which will include a mechanism for establishing Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. Negotiations conclude on 3 March.

West Bank: Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Nicola Richards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the security threat presented by Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank.

David Rutley: We continue to closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has proscribed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as a terrorist entity since March 2001. PIJ and other terrorist groups must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk. The UK continues to provide the Palestinian Authority (PA) with professional support in helping develop its security institutions. This provision includes training and other technical assistance to the PA Ministry of Interior and PA security forces, to support the development of capable, responsible security forces that respect human rights and are accountable to the Palestinian people. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, reinforced the UK's support for a two-state solution in his meetings with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, and with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Riad Malki, during his visit to Israel and the OPTs on 10-13 January.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has held discussions with (a) community groups and (b) other representatives of the Chagossian community on the negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

David Rutley: FCDO senior officials hosted an engagement event (which was opened by Lord Goldsmith) with individuals from Chagossian communities on 9 February 2023.

Israel: Sudan

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the proposed peace treaty between Israel and Sudan.

David Rutley: The UK welcomes reports of a proposed peace treaty between Israel and Sudan. The UK is a firm supporter of Israel's normalisation agreements, including the Abraham Accords. We continue to encourage close regional cooperation in order to tackle regional challenges and we encourage those countries with whom Israel does not yet have diplomatic relations to recognise the economic, cultural and security benefits of cooperation with Israel.

Ryan Cornelius

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates on the arbitrary detention of Ryan Cornelius.

David Rutley: FCDO Ministers and officials regularly raise consular matters with the UAE authorities, most recently on 7 February 2023 during a visit to the UAE by the FCDO's Consular Director. Mr Cornelius' case was discussed during this visit and also raised by the then Minister for Asia and the Middle East, Amanda Milling, with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Gargash on 6 July 2022. Consular staff are in regular contact with Mr Cornelius and his family, to provide him with ongoing support.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Polisario Front

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ supplied surface-to-air missiles to the Polisario Front.

David Rutley: The UK condemns the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) destabilising activity, including its weapon proliferation to non-state actors, wherever it occurs. The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the activities of the IRGC, which itself is sanctioned in its entirety. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara and continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation and swiftly re-engage with the UN-led political process, including a return to a ceasefire.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Guided Weapons

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech at the Munich Security Conference on 18 February 2023, what longer-range weapons the UK will be providing to Ukraine.

James Heappey: The UK is committed to ensuring Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend its sovereign territory and will remain at the forefront of providing support to Ukraine. We will not comment on specific capabilities due to operational security. We will continue to keep the House updated on the UK's support to Ukraine.

Russia: Ukraine

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech at the Munich Security Conference on 18 February 2023, what new charter the UK will be seeking to create at the next NATO Summit in Vilnius to help protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression.

James Heappey: Ukraine can win but only with increased support. Allies have undertaken unprecedented steps in response to Russia's illegal war, but now is the time to intensify and make a difference on the ground. At NATO this means doing more in close coordination with ongoing bilateral assistance: more money through the Comprehensive Assistance Package - accelerating and increasing the Alliance's non-lethal support, from food and fuel to counter-drone equipment; and also focusing on the longer term support for Ukraine's interoperability with the Alliance. It also means developing a closer, strengthened political relationship between NATO and Ukraine.

Ukraine: Challenger Tanks

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department made when considering the case for sending Challenger 2 Tanks to Ukraine; for what reason 14 tanks were determined as the quantity to be supplied; and whether he is planning to send further tanks at a future date.

James Heappey: Sending Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine represents a step change in our support as a calibrated response to Russia's indiscriminate violence against civilians in Ukraine. The provision of a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks is a very significant contribution from the UK which has made possible the gifting of dozens of tanks from other Western nations. The UK continues to be the leading European donor of equipment to Ukraine and we keep all options for additional future support under review.

National Grid: East of England

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the East Anglia GREEN proposals on operations at Wattisham Air Base.

Alex Chalk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the then Minister for Defence Procurement (Alec Shelbrooke) gave him on 12 September 2022.Wattisham Flying Station (WFS) continues to await a response from the National Grid project team before a full assessment regarding the impact on operations can be made.National Grid: East of England (docx, 21.6KB)

National Grid: East of England

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had discussions with National Grid on the potential impact of the East Anglia GREEN proposals on Wattisham Air Base.

Alex Chalk: Following the discussion on 14 July 2022 between National Grid and Wattisham Flying Station (WFS) regarding the East Anglia GREEN proposal, WFS await technical data from National Grid to allow the Airfield's safeguarding team to carry out an assessment.

Veterans: Health Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding charities received under the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Scheme in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021, (e) 2022 and (f) 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Integrated Personal Commissioning Scheme for Veterans does not grant funding to Charities.

Veterans: Health Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) very seriously injured and (b) brain injured veterans are currently supported through the Integrated Personal Care for Veterans System scheme.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans were (a) referred and (b) approved for the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans scheme in each year since 2018.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Individuals who are eligible for support under the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Scheme are proactively identified by medical staff whilst they are on the Defence Recovery Pathway. A total of 18 Veterans have been referred to the scheme since it began in 2019 and ten have been approved All Veterans supported by the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Scheme have complex and enduring mental, physical or neurological injuries sustained as a result of Service. Six of the ten have a brain injury.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December to Question 111518 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many of the 1,324 properties not allocated by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation due to damp and mould issues have had work completed to resolve these issues.

Alex Chalk: The information needed to answer the right hon. Member's question is taking time to collate. I will write to him with the answer shortly, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2023 to Question 146784 on Armed Forces: Housing, if he will break the figures down by (a) military base and (b) region.

Alex Chalk: A breakdown of the figures provided in the response to Question 146784 by Military Base can only be provided as disproportionate cost. The table below provides a breakdown of the value of compensation payments for issues relating to Service Family Accommodation, since 1 April 2022, for each region:RegionValue of Compensation payments £Central101,697North45,988Southeast252,979Southwest204,702Region not recorded16,386Total621,752 A breakdown of the number of compensation claims by region can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to publish the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Veterans' commemorative medal.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to open the application process for the Nuclear Test Veterans' commemorative medal.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 February 2023 to Question 148519 to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Sir Julian Lewis).Veterans: Radiation Exposure (docx, 22.5KB)

Veterans: Health Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding has been provided to each element of the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans scheme in the latest period for which data is available.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding the Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans Scheme received in (a) 2018, (b) 2019. (c) 2020, (d) 2021. (e) 2022 and (f) 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Members Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many open work orders for repair have been reported to Regional Accommodation Maintenance Service contractors in the (a) Northern and Central and (b) Southeast and Southwest regions that are classed as (i) emergency, (ii) urgent and (iii) routine in each month since April 2022.

Alex Chalk: Each month, on average, there will typically be over 20,200 maintenance tasks raised for the circa 37,000 currently occupied Service Family Accommodation properties; this equates to each home having on average five-six repairs carried out annually. These tasks will range from changing bulbs in strip lights, grounds maintenance through to boiler repairs.The tables below show the numbers of work orders which were reported each month to the Regional Accommodation Maintenance Service contractors and remain open at the end of each month in Northern and Central and Southeast and Southwest regions that were classed as urgent and routine in each month from 1 April 2022 to 31 January 2023. There are no emergency work orders outstanding in any region. Amey (Northern and Central - combined) As at end of MonthUrgentRoutineApr-2200May-2202Jun-2201Jul-2203Aug-2205Sep-22039Oct-22499Nov-227224Dec-2216360Jan-2328710  VIVO (Southeast and Southwest combined) As at end of MonthUrgentRoutineApr-2229May-224131Jun-2212116Jul-228136Aug-2220168Sep-2224186Oct-2232369Nov-2298663Dec-22127686Jan-23169932 VIVO have confirmed that whilst a number of the older jobs were initially diagnosed as an urgent priority repair, many families have received an initial visit and repair but await full resolution. In some cases, they have been unable to contact the families and have now written to them requesting contact within a process agreed with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Rivet Joint Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment has he made of the impact of the grounding of the United States Air Force (a) AC-135, (b) WC-135 and (c) KC-135 on the UK's Rivet Joint fleet.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the grounding of the United States Air Force (a) KC-135 (b) WC-135 (c) RC-135 on the UK's Rivet Joint fleet.

Alex Chalk: The US issued a Technical Order to inspect the Fin-terminal fitting pins on all C-135 aircraft variants for non-conforming parts. The inspections had no impact on operational capability or availability of the UK Rivet Joint Fleet as all inspections were conducted within normal maintenance events between sorties. All UK Rivet Joint aircraft were inspected with no issues identified, and all UK aircraft were cleared for flight.

MV Topaz Tangaroa

Allan Dorans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons MV Topaz Tanaroa was purchased for conversion to a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ship.

Alex Chalk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 January 2023 to Question number 128622 to the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns).MV Topaz Tangaroa (docx, 18.1KB)

Ministry of Defence: Nature Conservation

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential role of his Department in helping to meet the Government's nature restoration targets.

Alex Chalk: As one of the UK's largest landowners the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to contributing to the Government's nature restoration targets and enhancing biodiversity across its estate. Indeed, for 15 years it has funded a programme to improve the condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) across the Defence estate to support the Governments targets for protected sites.The MOD is developing a Nature Recovery Plan as required by the Greening Government Commitments. This will include an assessment of the potential future contribution to protected sites and other nature recovery targets. This plan will take account of the Defence imperative, current and future military requirements and where other land use contribute to Defence outputs such as carbon sequestration, renewable energy schemes and tenant farming.The MOD will continue to engage with Nature Conservation Bodies and Nature Recovery Networks to complement the Department's approach.

Artillery

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many track miles the AS90 travelled in 2022.

Alex Chalk: Reported data shows that AS90 travelled 23,258km over the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. Notes/caveats: Activity is captured and reported in line with the Financial Year (1 April to 31 March).Due to a change in the way vehicle usage is tracked and to ensure increased accuracy in reporting, the data reflects kilometres travelled rather than miles.Data is sourced from the JAMES vehicle management system which is a live system and subject to change.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2023 to Question 118824 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many (a) damp and (b) mould reports have been made since 1 January 2023 to Regional Accommodation Maintenance Service contractors in the (i) Northern and Central regions and (ii) Southwest and Southeast regions.

Alex Chalk: Damp cases are not reported separately to mould cases, they are reported as a single category. The number of professional survey reports received following damp and mould investigations surveys completed between 1 January and the end of week commencing 13 February 2023 is 617, broken down are as follows: Amey (North/Central Regions): 197 Vivo (South East/South West Regions): 420

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December to Question 111518 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many properties were not allocated by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation due to damp and mould issues in (a) January and (b) February 2023.

Alex Chalk: As at 31 January 2023, 196 properties were not available for allocation to Service personnel due to damp and mould issues. Data for February 2023 is not yet available.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many temporary heaters have been provided to Service Family Accommodation properties in each month since December 2022.

Alex Chalk: The infomation requested by the right hon. Member is not held. VIVO do not keep records of heaters issued because the electric heaters they issue are given to the family to keep and there is no requirement to record their issue.

Pinnacle Service Families

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the performance of Pinnacle at improving the service provided to families in Service Family Accommodation via the National Service Centre since December 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the performance of (a) VIVO and (b) Amey at improving the service provided to families in Service Family Accommodation since December 2022.

Alex Chalk: Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) accommodation suppliers were directed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to implement rectification plans to achieve rapid improvements in contract performance. Since their implementation in September 2022, there are early signs of recovery, however, more still needs to be done to meet Acceptable Levels of Performance (ALP). DIO have assessed the extent to which suppliers have met their ALPs for their Key Performance Indicators for quarter three. As a result, the contractual rights to withhold payments are being exercised and deductions will be made as appropriate.

Leonardo: Contracts

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department’s contract with Leonardo Aerospace to deliver MBDA Sea Venom and Thales Lightweight Multirole missile systems is due to expire.

Alex Chalk: The contract with Leonardo Aerospace to deliver MBDA Sea Venom and Thales Lightweight Multirole Missile systems is due to expire in February 2025.

RNAS Yeovilton

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what additional (a) capability and (b) training capacities his Department has secured for Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton.

Alex Chalk: Over the last five years, the largest single change in capability provision at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton is the re-introduction of the air to surface capability through introduction of the Martlet Missile System.Training capacity provision at RNAS Yeovilton has remained consistent across the past five years.

Ministry of Defence: Minimum Wage

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has contracted work to a business named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last 3 years.

Alex Chalk: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has contracted work with five businesses named in the round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme: Mitie Limited, Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited, Calor Gas Limited, Hampshire County Council, and Integrated Water Services Limited.It is noted that the investigations by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs have now concluded, and the MOD expects all its suppliers to comply with all applicable employment laws in the jurisdictions in which they work.

Type 32 Frigates: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 15 of the report by his Department entitled Defence in Numbers 2022, published on 22 February 2023, how much and what proportion of the £22.3 billion funding for procurement and support of ships over the next 10 years is allocated to Type 32 frigates.

Alex Chalk: The published figures are drawn from the 2022 Equipment Plan, which presented a point in time linked to the aligned budgeting cycle. As projects mature, funding allocations are made from the pipeline budget against them. Concept funding has been allocated to Type 32 as a programme, pending sufficient maturity for full budget allocation being reached.

HMS Agamemnon and HMS Agincourt

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of when the Royal Navy will take delivery of (a) HMS Agamemnon and (b) HMS Agincourt.

Alex Chalk: Planned delivery dates for Royal Navy Submarines are withheld as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. We remain committed to the delivery of all seven Astute Class submarines.

Future Combat Air System

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has provided to UK companies involved in the Global Combat Air Programme.

Alex Chalk: As of 31 January 2023, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has provided over £1.25 billion funding to UK industry, including on research and development, to support our future combat air capability. This is in addition to MOD's internal investments and those made by industry.

Department for Work and Pensions

Bereavement Support Payment: Cohabitation

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to inform previously unsuccessful applicants to the Bereavement support payment scheme about the recent change to that scheme which will enable unmarried bereaved partners to access those payments.

Mims Davies: We do not routinely keep details of people who have originally claimed and been refused Bereavement Support Payment on the basis of being in a cohabiting relationship. We therefore do not intend to contact previous claimants directly. We have, however, taken a range of steps to raise awareness, including updating GOV.UK and using existing DWP channels to communicate this change to claimants and interested external organisations. We have also, and will continue to, collaborate closely with key external stakeholders such as the Childhood Bereavement Network, to ensure that information about the scheme is accessible.

Department for Work and Pensions: Disability

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps they have taken to operate a disability confident scheme for those seeking promotion in their Department; and how many and what proportion of those candidates who declared themselves as having a disability and who applied under the scheme were (a) interviewed and (b) promoted in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

Mims Davies: In line with the commitment made in the Civil Service Workforce Plan all DWP recruitment has been ‘External by Default’ since August 2020. It is therefore departmental policy that all permanent vacancies, including those that would result in promotion for an existing employee, are advertised externally unless there is clear rationale for not doing so. To comply with CS Commission Recruitment Principles, our external recruitment is Fair, Open and Merit based and as a Disability Confident Leader all our advertised campaigns, internal or external, carries the Disability Confident Logo to make this clear to applicants. We are committed to offering an interview to any disabled candidate, internal or external, who applies under the Disability Confident Scheme and meets the minimum criteria for the role. It is only within internal recruitment exercises, where candidates are asked if they are applying on promotion, as such, we only hold data on promotion figures for internally advertised campaigns. The figures in the table show the number of DWP candidates who declared themselves as having a disability, or who applied for internal vacancies under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, and their progression through the recruitment process.  Internal Recruitment Campaigns Only (applying on promotion) **20212022Applications received from DWP candidates who declared themselves as having a disability, or who applied under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.152244Number of the above candidates who were successful at sift stage and invited to interview.28 (18.4%)37 (15.2%)Number of the above candidates who were successful at interview stage and made an offer.9 (5.9%)6 (2.5%).** Applications made by internal DWP candidates for internally advertised DWP / Cross Government vacancies, on promotion.

Bereavement Benefits: Cohabitation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help support cohabiting parents who need financial support following bereavement apply for bereavement benefits.

Mims Davies: We have updated GOV.UK to provide details of how surviving cohabiting parents can make a claim for bereavement benefits. For Bereavement Support Payment, claims can be made online via GOV.UK, or by calling the DWP Bereavement service, or via a paper claim downloadable from GOV.UK or claimants can call DWP’s Bereavement Service to request that a form be sent via post. Claims for Widowed Parent’s Allowance can be made via a paper form, which must be submitted to DWP by post. The form can be downloaded from GOV.UK, or claimants can call DWP’s Bereavement Service to request that a form be sent via post.

Department for Work and Pensions: Minimum Wage

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has contracted work to a business named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last three years.

Mims Davies: We have checked our contracts database and can confirm that the Department for Work and Pensions has not contracted work to any business named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last three years.

Children: Maintenance

Amy Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the National Audit Office report entitled Child maintenance, published in March 2022, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help increase the number of successful child maintenance arrangements.

Mims Davies: As at September 2022 there were 872,000 children covered by Child Maintenance Service (CMS) arrangements. The service has recorded an increase in the number of children covered by CMS arrangements increasing by 25,700 between June 2022 and September 2022. Under the Direct Pay service Child Maintenance Service provides the calculation and no further use of the service is required. Parents are issued a text message three months after they set up their arrangement and at each annual review, to check the arrangement is still meeting their requirements. If they cannot arrange payments between themselves or a Paying Parent does not keep up with the payments, the Receiving Parent can ask to switch to the Collect and Pay Service. 61% of all Child Maintenance Service arrangements use Direct Pay with 37% using Collect and Pay.At the end of September 2022:548,800 children were covered by 384,600 Direct Pay arrangements304,200 children were covered by 231,000 Collect & Pay arrangements 164,800 of these children were covered by 117,500 Collect & Pay arrangements where the Paying Parent paid some maintenance during the quarter139,400 of these children were covered by 113,500 Collect & Pay arrangements where no maintenance was paid during the quarterThe number of children covered by CMS arrangements has increased steadily over the last 2 years.(Source – Child Maintenance Service published statistics – data to September 2022)The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) continues to take rigorous action to collect maintenance, combining robust negotiation activity with the highly effective use of its extensive range of Enforcement Powers. This approach is driven by the Payment Compliance strategy increasing CMS compliance influencing activities to tackle non-paying cases and challenge non-compliant behaviours. CMS applies a Continuous Improvement focus to Enforcement strategy and processes. Total child maintenance collected using enforcement actions amounted to £36.1 million in the quarter to September 2022 compared with £33.8 in September 2021 and £28.4 in September 2020. This rise in collections is linked directly to increased collections through Deductions from Earnings Orders, lump sum and regular deductions taken directly from paying parents’ bank accounts, Liability Order and Bailiff actions and making full use of all available sanctions. (Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables – table 7.1 ‘Enforcement Actions’, April 2015 to September 2022). As a result of a focussed effort to increase enforcement activity and influence Paying Parents to pay their child maintenance £49.4 million was paid through the Collect & Pay service in the quarter to September 2022 compared to £45.6 million in the quarter ending March 2022 when the NAO report was published. (Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables – table 5 ‘Money Due and Paid each quarter’ January 2015 to September 2022). There has been a consistent downward trend in the proportion of unpaid maintenance as a proportion of maintenance arranged since 2017, falling from 12.5% in 2017 to 8.2% in September 2022. (Source – Child Maintenance Service published Statistics : National Tables - table 6 ‘ how much maintenance CMS has arranged March 2015 to September 2022).

Universal Credit: Social Rented Housing

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of social housing tenants whose Universal Credit payments cover all of their rent costs.

Mims Davies: As of August 2022, 87.5% of social housing tenants in receipt of the Universal Credit Housing Element, had their rent fully covered by their total Universal Credit payment. Total Universal Credit payments comprise of the Standard Allowance, as well as other elements such as the child, disability, and housing elements. The sum of these elements can be reduced for the final payment for instance, if a household is in receipt of earnings, has beyond a certain level of savings or is subject to the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). As Universal Credit is administered as one payment, we cannot specifically state the proportion of rent covered by the housing element part of a payment as the majority of reductions are not applied to specific elements.

Jobcentres

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit claimants with work search requirements who have been out of work for at least 13 weeks in the four pilot areas for the two-week daily face-to-face Jobcentre appointments programme have participated in that programme.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit claimants with work search requirements who have been out of work for at least 13 weeks in the four pilot areas and participated in the two-week daily face-to-face Jobcentre appointments programme have started a job.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit claimants participating in the two-week daily face-to-face Jobcentre appointments programme pilots have received a sanction.

Guy Opperman: Four sites begun operating a small Proof of Concept to assess the feasibility of delivering a programme of Additional Jobcentre Support to claimants out of work for at least 13 weeks. The pilot rollout started on 27th February (Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).

Social Security Benefits: Parents

Amy Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to increase social security payments available to parents under 25 years old, in line with payments available to parents over 25.

Guy Opperman: There are no plans to change the policy around the standard allowance rates for those under 25 at this time.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's publication Benefit sanctions statistics to October 2022, how many full time equivalent (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff are tasked exclusively with the investigative work on sanction durations data.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's publication Benefit sanctions statistics to October 2022, how many hours of (a) payroll and (b) non-payroll staff were dedicated to the investigative work on sanction durations data in each month for which data is available since November 2020.

Guy Opperman: We do not hold the information requested. We will provide updates on progress of the investigative work through the quarterly bulletins and the DWP Statistical Work Programme.

Universal Credit: Children

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to end the policy of limiting the payment of additional child elements of universal credit to the first two children in a household; how many (a) households and (b) children are affected by the two-child limit; for what reasons his Department implements this policy; if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this policy on levels of child poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Guy Opperman: Latest statistics related to the policy published in July 2022 and can be accessed at Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, April 2022There are no plans to end this policy. The policy was announced in 2015 as part of a package of measures to deliver a more sustainable welfare system.​

Flexible Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total budget allocated for the Flexible Support Fund was in each of the five financial years up to 2022-23.

Guy Opperman: The most recent completed allocations are:   £m2021/2288.22020/2148.82019/2037.82018/1940.72017/1837.6 Numbers are rounded to the nearest £0.1m

Flexible Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 142712 on the Flexible Support Fund, what information his Department holds on funding allocated through the Flexible Support Fund.

Guy Opperman: Funding information for the Flexible Support Fund is held at Area level and not collated centrally.

Personal Independence Payment: Warwick and Leamington

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants for Personal Independence Payments were initially turned down and were successful on appeal in Warwick and Leamington constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

Tom Pursglove: For Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims in the Warwick and Leamington parliamentary constituency, where the initial decision was made from 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022 (the latest period for which data is available):- 380 claims were disallowed at initial clearance post assessment; and- Of these, 10 claims were then lapsed or overturned at appeal, 3% of initial disallowance decisions.  Please note:- Figures are rounded to the nearest 10;- Percentages are rounded to the nearest 1%;- Figures are unpublished and may be subject to future revisions;- These figures include initial decisions following assessment for PIP new claims and reassessments from 01 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, the latest date for which published data is available;- Initial disallowance decisions following a PIP assessment reflect outcomes prior to any Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) and appeal action. They do not include Award Review or Change of Circumstance decisions, or decisions prior to an assessment being completed;- These figures include appeal decisions up to 30 September 2022, the latest date for which published data is available. Note that more appeals could be made and completed after September 2022, so numbers could go up as it can take some time for an appeal to be lodged and then cleared after the initial decision;- A lapsed appeal is where DWP changed the decision in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at tribunal; and- The appeal figures will include some decisions which are changed at a Mandatory Reconsideration, where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at appeal.

Personal Independence Payment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions during in year 2021-22 were points award recommended in the assessor’s report for a Personal Independence Payment clearance identical to the points award in the initial decision.

Tom Pursglove: In the year 2021-22, there were 478,800 occasions where the points awarded for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) new claims and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP reassessments were the same as those recommended in the assessor’s report. For some cases, point scores are missing from the data and so these have not been counted, although some of these would also be likely to have the same points recommended and awarded. Source: PIP Atomic Data Store (ADS)Notes:This is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision;Figures are rounded to the nearest 100;Figures are for England and Wales only.

Personal Independence Payment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Personal Independence Payment claims assessed (a) face-to-face, (b) on paper, (c) by telephone and (d) by video call led to an award in 2021-22.

Tom Pursglove: Table 1 shows the volume and proportion of assessments that led to an award split by channel type between April 20-21 and March 20-22.  Table 1: Volume and proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments that led to an award in 2021-2022  Volume awardedProportion of assessments resulting in awardTelephone Consultation 186,89044%Video Consultation3,38044%Face to Face Consultation6,96041%Paper Based Review 69,57085%  Source: PIP Atomic Data Store (ADS)Notes:This is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision;Figures are for England and Wales only;Figures include new claims and reassessment from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claims;These figures cover claims made under normal rules only;This is data from initial decisions only and does not include mandatory reconsiderations or appeals;The proportion of PIP assessments that lead to an award does not take account of claims that are disallowed pre-assessment; andVolumes are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percentage.

Universal Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households claiming childcare cost payments in Universal Credit have requested a Universal Credit advance to help with the upfront cost of childcare in the last year.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households requesting a Universal Credit advance to help with the upfront cost of childcare have been granted a Universal Credit advance in the last year.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not available as reasons for use of an advance are not readily available.

Universal Credit: Social Rented Housing

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of a seven per cent rise in social rents on the finances of social housing tenants in receipt of Universal Credit.

Mims Davies: At Autumn Statement 2022 the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced plans to cap the maximum social rented sector rent increase in England to 7% in 2023/24. Prior to this, the rent settlement for 2020 to 2025 permitted social housing rents in England to increase by up to CPI plus 1% per annum which would have resulted in increases of up to 11.1% in 2023/24. The 7% cap will therefore restrain the rent increases for renters in social housing. Households in receipt of the housing element of Universal Credit (UC) in the social rented sector will receive support that will cover the full amount of the 7% rise in their rent unless their award is reduced, for instance because of their income or savings, or limited by the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). Households with these reductions may need to fund part of the 7% rise from other sources of income. 18% of households in the social rented sector in receipt of the housing element of UC are subject to an RSRS deduction. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available for eligible households who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. This includes households impacted by the benefit cap or RSRS. Since 2011 we have provided nearly £1.6 billion in funding to local authorities for DHPs. More generally a significant support package was announced at Autumn Budget including uprating benefits by 10.1% and extending the Household Support Fund for 2023/24.

Universal Credit

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of freezing the maximum amount of support for childcare costs in Universal Credit in 2023-24 at 2022-23 levels on living standards.

Mims Davies: No such assessment has been made. In Universal Credit, working families can claim up to 85%, increased from 70% in legacy benefits, of their eligible registered childcare costs each month regardless of the hours worked. This equates to a maximum support of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children. The current childcare offer is comprehensive, broad ranging and reflects different family circumstances, covering children over a range of ages. We believe that helping parents with their childcare costs is one of the best ways to help people into work, support families with the cost of living, and ensure every child has the opportunity of a high quality early education.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the (a) financial and (b) mental health impacts on families of the removal of the spare room subsidy during the cost of living crisis; and if he will make it his policy to abolish that penalty.

Mims Davies: No assessment has been made. The removal of the spare room subsidy policy applies to claims for housing support where the claimant is living in the social rented sector in a property that is deemed too large for their needs. The policy aims to strengthen work incentives and seeks to encourage greater mobility within the social rented sector. There are no plans to abolish the policy, and certain easements are available which allow for the provision of an additional bedroom in certain circumstances, such as to support the needs of disabled people. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. Since 2011 we have provided nearly £1.6 billion in funding to local authorities for DHPs. We are doing more to help households who may be struggling. The government announced substantial cost of living support for 2023/24 in the Autumn Statement. This is intended to provide stability and certainty for households and includes Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable, meaning around 8 million households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to a further £900 in Payments in 2023/24. Benefits and state pensions will also be uprated by 10.1% in 2023-24. For those who need additional support the Government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable a further extension to the Household Support Fund in England over the 2023/24 financial year. In England, this scheme will be backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities will use to help households with the cost of essentials. It will be for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding. Local Authorities are expected to support households in the most need, and in particular those who may not be eligible for the other support government has recently made available.

Universal Credit: Work Capability Assessment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments conducted (a) face-to-face, (b) on paper, (c) by telephone and (d) by video call led to a decision that the claimant had Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity in the year 2021-22.

Tom Pursglove: The full information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Note: Although the Assessment Provider records assessments carried out by channel, this information is not linked to DWP decisions. To match this data and quality assure the results would incur disproportionate costs.

Universal Credit: Work Capability Assessment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions in the 2021-22 was the points award after Mandatory Reconsideration for a Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment identical to the points award in the initial decision.

Tom Pursglove: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Work Capability Assessment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions in 2021-22 was the points award recommended in the assessor’s report for a Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment clearance identical to the points award in the initial decision.

Tom Pursglove: The full information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Note: The UC system does not record the points awarded for all Work Capability Assessment decisions. To answer the question reliably would require a manual examination of thousands of claimants’ records where the points are not recorded on the system.

Carer's Allowance: Overpayments

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overpayments of Carer’s Allowance there have been in relation to the earnings conditions in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overpayments of Carer’s Allowance there have been in the earnings brackets (a) £0.01 - £500, (b) £500.01 - £1,000, (c) £1,000.01 - £5,000, (d) £5,000.01 - £20,000 and (e) over £20,000 providing figures for the latest available year.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many debts of overpayments of Carer's Allowance his Department was seeking to recover in value brackets (a) £0.01 - £500, (b) £500.01 - £1,000, (c) £1,000.01 - £5,000, (d) £5,000.01 - £20,000 and (e) over £20,000 as of 1 February 2023.

Tom Pursglove: Table 1 details the number of live Carer’s Allowance overpayments the department is seeking to recover, by the value brackets requested, as of 1st February 2023. Overpayment Value Volume of Overpayments£0.01 - £50055,010£500.01 - £1,00050,753£1,000.01 - £5,00027,761£5,000.01 - £20,00011,773Over £20,000270Total145,567 Table 1 - Note: Data is for England, Wales and Scotland only, and represents overpayments held with balances greater than £0.00.   Table 2 details the number of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance for the last available year (2022/23) where the reason for overpayment was recorded as earnings over the Carer’s Allowance limit. The actual amount of earnings received is not captured. The bandwidths used therefore relate to the amount overpaid.  Overpayment Value Number of overpayments (2022/23)£0.01 - £5007,121£500.01 - £1,0007,271£1,000.01 - £5,00011,476£5,000.01 - £20,000835Over £20,00036Total26,739 Table 2 - Note: Data includes devolved overpayments from Scotland but excludes Northern Ireland.  Table 3 details the number of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance there have been in relation to the earnings conditions for the past 5 years. Going further back, the data excludes overpayments fully repaid – details of which are archived after 14 months and fully deleted after 7 years, which does not allow for a true figure to be calculated. Data includes devolved overpayments from Scotland. Financial Years Volume of Overpayments2018/1925,7612019/2039,5022020/2119,7422021/2235,9652022/2326,739Total  186,268  Table 3

Social Security Benefits: Dementia

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making dementia patients eligible to claim benefits under the special rules for end of life.

Tom Pursglove: People with dementia, who are deemed by their clinicians to be at the end of their lives, may be eligible to claim benefits under the ‘Special Rules for End of Life’ (SREL). Eligibility under SREL is not determined by medical condition, but rather based on clinical judgment about patients’ estimated prognosis. The department’s supporting clinical guidance advises clinicians to assess whether they would be surprised if their patient dies within the next 12 months if they are claiming UC or ESA, or 6 months if they are claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or Attendance Allowance (AA). The Government announced in July 2021 that it intended to replace the current six-month eligibility criteria with a 12-month end of life approach. The DWP implemented this change to Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance regulations on 4th April 2022 and similar changes will also be made to Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, and Attendance Allowance in April 2023.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of disability payments; and what the annual cost to the public purse is of these payments.

Tom Pursglove: The number of claimants who received Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in each month, up to and including October 2022, is published and can be found on Stat-Xplore. The number of claimants who received Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in each month, up to and including August 2022, is also published on Stat-Xplore. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here. An account is not required to use Stat-Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions. Annual expenditure data for AA, DLA and PIP is published and can be found in the ‘Disability benefits’ sheet within the Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2022 - GOV.UK (www.GOV.UK) for years up to 2021/22. Data for 2022/23 will be published in due course.The Scottish Government took on responsibility for disability benefits in Scotland from 2020/21, so expenditure data for Scotland only covers years up to 2019/20. Information on expenditure in Scotland from 2020/21 is the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Carer's Allowance and Universal Credit

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many carers (a) have earnings and are eligible for Carer’s Allowance but do not receive Universal Credit and (b) receive Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit as of 1 February 2023.

Tom Pursglove: The department does not hold data on the number of carers eligible for Carer’s Allowance, but not receiving it. The latest data the department holds on the number of carers receiving Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit is from August 2022. As of August 2022, around 334,000 carers were receiving both Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit.

Carer's Allowance: Overpayments

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many FTE staff in his Department have been working on overpayments in respect of Carer’s Allowance and its earnings conditions in each of last 10 years; and whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of those staffing numbers in supporting this function.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time is that overpayment debts in respect of earnings conditions of Carer’s Allowance have been outstanding providing figures for the last year available.

Tom Pursglove: Carers Allowance has a commitment to action any debt case once identified within 56 days. The resourcing of this work can vary in line with demand and competing priorities.

State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of reciprocal agreements on state pensions with other countries.

Laura Trott: The Government does not have a policy to increase the number of countries with which the UK has reciprocal agreements on state pensions. For this reason, no steps are being taken to this end.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cats: Theft

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making cat abduction a criminal offence in the Kept Animals Bill.

Mark Spencer: We have listened carefully to the views expressed during the passage of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill that the new pet abduction offence should be extended to cats. We are currently considering this issue further.

Flood Control: Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to provide additional support on anti-flooding measures for homes which frequently flood.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the funding criteria modelling for properties that frequently flood.

Rebecca Pow: In July 2022 Government announced the £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance, which is ring-fenced from our record £5.2 billion floods programme to support communities that have experienced repeated flooding, defined as 10 or more properties having flooded twice or more in the past 10 years. The Allowance will help schemes that already qualify for Defra’s Flood Defence Grant in Aid funding under the current capital programme but have not been able to secure the funding necessary to progress their scheme. The allowance can be used to support any eligible flood scheme, including traditional flood defences, natural flood management, and Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures. We will announce the first beneficiaries of the Frequently Flooded Allowance in due course.

Clean Air Zones: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Class B Clean Air Zone in Portsmouth at reducing NO2 levels; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a Class D Clean Air Zone.

Rebecca Pow: Portsmouth’s Class B Clean Air Zone has been operational since November 2021. Data for 2022 will be published as part of the 2022 National Compliance Assessment. Government guidance is clear that a Clean Air Zone should only be implemented by a Local Authority in the NO2 Programme where non-charging measures are unable to achieve compliance with legal NO2 levels in the shortest possible time.

Garlic: China

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has made of the potential merits of bringing forward the upcoming announcement on Tariff-Rate Quotas of Chinese Garlic; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: The Government launched a consultation on 21 October 2022 on options for tariff quota administration for garlic imported from China. The consultation has now closed and the Government aims to communicate a decision on the future administration of the tariff rate quota for garlic imported from China by the end of the week commencing 27 February 2023.

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was spent by her Department on (a) buying and (b) maintaining air pollution monitoring equipment in each of the last 5 years.

Rebecca Pow: For the UK-wide ambient air quality monitoring networks, which the Environment Agency runs on behalf of Defra, the following was allocated for buying and maintaining air pollution equipment in each of the last 5 years:Figures for the UK Urban NO2 Network (UUNN) 2019-200.41 M2020-210.56 M2021-220.6 M2022-230.62 MWe do not have figures before 2019 as the network did not start until 2020. Figures for the UK Networks YearCapitalResource2019-201.47 M5.68 M2020-211.44 M6.52 M2020/21£1.5M£6.7M2021/22£2.0 M£7.5 M2022/23 £3.06 M£8.4 M

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department plans to spend on (a) buying and (b) maintaining air pollution monitoring equipment in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24; and if she will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: For the UK-wide ambient air quality monitoring networks, which the Environment Agency runs on behalf of Defra, the following has been allocated to spend on (a) buying and (b) maintaining air pollution monitoring equipment in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24:   2022-232023-24Capital (buying and installing equipment)£3.36M£6.17MResource (maintaining and running equipment)£9.34M£9.40MFigures for the UK Urban NO2 Network (UUNN) YearAllocated spend2022-23£0.62M2023-24 (estimated)£0.52M

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many air quality monitoring stations there are in England as of 21 February 2023.

Rebecca Pow: As of 21 February 2023, there were over 430 Defra funded monitoring sites in England, these sites form part of multiple monitoring networks. Defra also provides the data from 268 Locally Managed Automatic Monitoring sites from England in near real-time on the UK Air website.

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new air quality monitoring stations have been delivered in each of the last five years.

Rebecca Pow: In terms of the national monitoring networks across the UK, the following number of new air quality monitoring stations have been delivered in each of the last 5 years: YearNew sites across all networks201882019620202322021126202225 These are new AQ monitoring stations, not additional equipment added to existing sites. For example, 21 additional PM2.5 monitors have been added to existing monitoring stations in 2022 to further monitor this pollutant.

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new air quality monitoring stations her Department plans to deliver in (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.

Rebecca Pow: The expansion of the Automatic Urban Rural Network AURN for England is delivered by the Environment Agency on behalf of Defra. The intention is to deliver the following brand-new monitoring stations: 2022-23 42023-24 48 estimated Figures for the UK Urban NO2 Network (UUNN) 2022-23: 492023-24: not yet known

Rhinoceros: Poaching

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Botswanan counterpart on the levels of rhino poaching in that country.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State has not discussed the levels of rhino poaching with her counterpart in the Botswana Government. However, officials met with the Botswana delegation, including the Minister of Environment and Tourism, ahead of and during the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES COP19). Discussions covered a range of important biodiversity issues, including sustainable conservation and the challenges facing local communities living alongside large animals.

Waste Management

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Waste prevention programme for England 2021.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. However, since consulting in 2021 my officials have been working with their counterparts in other Departments, particularly the Department for Energy and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade, to finalise the new programme, now called ‘Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste’. This will be considerably shorter than the document consulted on to make it easier to read and navigate, but it will set out priorities for action to manage resources and waste in accordance with the waste hierarchy. We plan to publish the new programme in the first part of this year.

Flood Re: Reviews

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take in conducting the quinquennial review of Flood RE; and what the scope of that review is.

Rebecca Pow: Regulation 27 of the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme Funding and Administration) Regulations 2015 sets out that Flood Re must produce a report at least every five years which reviews the scheme, considering total levy and reinsurance premium thresholds and the need to manage transition by 2039. Flood Re intend to publish their next Quinquennial Review in 2024 making recommendations, which the Secretary of State will consider.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding redirected from the Basic Payment Scheme to Agricultural Transition Plan schemes has been disbursed to farmers.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding redirected from the Basic Payment Scheme to new schemes as part of the Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan has been spent on additional staff and contractors for her Department.

Mark Spencer: The farming budget in England is an average £2.4bn per year to 2024/25. We are now two years into our 7-year transition period where we are phasing out farm subsidies and instead investing the money in farming and the environment. The budget available for the sector is the same. We are committed to being transparent about the budget and how it is spent. We included in the Agriculture Act a requirement for government to publish an annual report about the budget, and we did this for the first time in 2022. Future Farming and Countryside Programme annual report, 2021 to 2022 (HTML version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) That report set out that during 2021/22 a total of £2.294bn was spent, including £2.274bn being paid to farmers and land managers. £20m was spent on Technical Assistance to support the design, implementation and delivery of schemes within the programme, including staff and contractors, representing less than 1% of the total spend. That amount aligns with the levels spent under CAP. There is not a like for like comparison of the reductions applied to Direct Payments being invested in new schemes in a given year since the original composition of the £2.4bn included RDPE schemes as well as Direct Payments and the budget is an average across this Parliament.

Flood Re

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the 25-year period for Flood Re.

Rebecca Pow: Flood Re will end in 2039. Flood Re have a statutory purpose to manage the transition to risk-reflective pricing of flood insurance for household premises between 2016 and 2039. Flood Re will lead on actions and support others to undertake actions during this period to support the insurance market to transition within this period. Flood Re will publish their next Transition Plan, outlining its progress and action on moving to affordable risk-reflective pricing by 2039 this summer.

Neonicotinoids

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the contribution of the Environment Minister to the Westminster Hall debate on Bee-Killing Pesticides on 1 February 2023, Official Report, column 108WH, if she will outline (a) the decision-making process for the use of Cruiser SB following the predicted virus incidence forecast on 1 March and (b) the role of (i) Parliament and (ii) Ministers; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: Defra has granted an emergency authorisation to use Cruiser SB to treat seeds for the 2023 sugar beet seed crop in England. Cruiser SB is effective in controlling the spread of viruses that harm the crop and these viruses are more of a threat in some years than others. To avoid the use of Cruiser in 2023 if the virus threat is limited, the emergency authorisation includes a threshold for predicted virus incidence. If the threshold is not met, the use of Cruiser SB is not allowed. The prediction is made by an established model created by Rothamsted Research and run by them on 1 March. The output of the model determines whether the threshold is met and that in turn determines whether Cruiser SB can be used. Farmers planning to grow sugar beet this year have decided whether they wish to use treated seed. If the threshold is reached, that seed will be treated and distributed to farms. There is no decision to be taken by the Government or by growers in response to the prediction of virus incidence.

Convention on Biological Diversity

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to abide by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Trudy Harrison: The package agreed at COP15, including the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, represents a historic step forward towards addressing the biodiversity crisis. Setting a clear mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, the commitments expected under its 23 targets, notably to protect 30% of global land and 30% of global ocean by 2030, to end human induced-species extinctions of known threatened species by 2030, alongside the package of international nature finance agreed to support its implementation – put us on the path to nature recovery. The key is now to fully implement this ambitious framework across all Parties. In England, we have set four legally binding targets for biodiversity: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; then to reverse declines by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042; and restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042. We have set out our plan to deliver on these ambitious targets, along with our other environmental targets, in the revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) published 31 January 2023.  Here we link the different objectives, plans and mechanisms for recovering nature.

Food Supply

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to organise a summit on food security.

Mark Spencer: We can confirm, as per the Prime Minister’s commitment, that we will organise a summit on food security later this year.

Food: Infrastructure

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to invest in local food infrastructure.

Mark Spencer: As a Government we have a Manifesto commitment that we want people at home and abroad to be lining up to buy British. SMEs are at the heart of the sector, making up 98% of food and drink manufacturing businesses, and one of our key focuses is supporting them to grow. As part of our support for these businesses the Government hosted a Regional Food and Drink Summit in Birmingham in March 2022. The Summit successfully brought together SMEs and regional organisations to share best practice and access support to grow their business through exporting, selling direct to consumers, accessing public sector procurement opportunities and promoting their products at a regional level. Building on the Summit we have continued to empower businesses and regional organisations to leverage growth opportunities, champion their regional food identity and develop links with local tourism through a series of regional workshops most recently in Yorkshire and Cornwall. In addition to the Government’s work, we recognise the role that local organisations play in supporting local food infrastructure. We work closely with local enterprise partnerships, as well as businesses and representative organisations, through regular engagement, regional workshop events, masterclasses and other events to develop local food and drink networks, promote local products and share best practice.

Crops: Pollinators

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of pollination to crop production in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: Pollinators are a priority for this government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy’s provisions. We are restoring and creating habitat for wild and managed pollinators to thrive; addressing pressures including by supporting Integrated Pest Management (IPM); raising awareness across society so that people can take action themselves; and supporting monitoring and research. Bees and other pollinators play an essential role in our £100 billion food industry. The latest estimated value of insect pollination on UK crops fruit, vegetable and oil seed rape production is around £630m per year. This estimate is based on increases in yield and market quality. It was produced through field and desk-based research undertaken by the University of Reading and other researchers, who estimated the potential deficits in crop yield and quality without (or with reduced) insect pollination services, and related this to market value.

Supply Chains: Codes of Practice

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on creating a timetable for the publication of new supply chain fair dealing codes for each sector.

Mark Spencer: The Government wants all farmers to receive a fair price for their products and the Government is committed to tackling any contractual unfairness that might exist in the agri-food supply chain. Powers contained in the Agriculture Act 2020 enable us to introduce statutory codes of contractual practice which would apply to processors and other businesses when purchasing agricultural products directly from farmers. In 2020, the Government carried out a consultation seeking views from farmers and processors in the dairy sector on whether future regulation could be used to strengthen fairness and transparency in the supply chain to ensure farmers are treated fairly. We continue to work closely with stakeholders during the development of regulations and intend to introduce legislation later this year. A subsequent consultation was conducted between July and October 2022 exploring issues in the pig sector. We are analysing the responses and considering appropriate next steps. A Summary of Responses, which will outline the main findings and conclusions from the consultation, will be published next month. We intend to use these powers in a targeted way where there is clear evidence of unfair practices in specific agricultural sectors and statutory codes will help address the issues. The Government will continue to work closely with all sectors to discuss any supply chain issues.

Biofuels

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she made of the potential impact of the UK's use of grain as biofuel on global food security.

Mark Spencer: The UK represents a very small proportion, roughly 0.5%, of global crop-based biofuel consumption and our use of crop-based feed stocks therefore has a relatively small impact on global food prices and security. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, the main mechanism incentivising renewable transport fuels in the UK, includes a cap on the proportion of crop derived biofuel that can be supplied each year and provides a double reward for fuels produced from wastes and residues. Because of this, 76% of renewable fuel supplied in the UK was derived from wastes in 2021 – one of the highest proportions in Europe. The cap on crop derived fuels reduces each year as part of a continual transition to waste-based fuels. This ambition is supported by the forthcoming sustainable aviation fuel mandate, which will not allow the use of crop-based biofuels.

Pesticides

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help encourage the use of alternatives to neonicotinoid pesticides which do not harm pollinators.

Mark Spencer: Neonicotinoids are not generally permitted for use on crops. Time-limited emergency authorisations have been given to protect sugar beet crops from Yellows Viruses. This is not a permanent solution and the development of alternative, sustainable approaches to protect sugar beet crops is paramount. Work under way includes the development of resistant plant varieties, measures to improve crop hygiene and husbandry and alternative pesticides. British Sugar, seed companies and the British Beet Research Organisation are undertaking a programme of work developing these alternatives – which include Yellows Virus specific Integrated Pest Management techniques. The Government is monitoring the progress of this. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) lies at the heart of our approach to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides and is a key tool for businesses facing the challenges of pesticide resistance and changing pest pressures due to climate change. To support this, we are introducing new paid IPM actions within the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme this year. Increased support for IPM approaches will also be a feature of the upcoming National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of pesticides.

Environment Protection: UN Resolutions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the UN General Assembly resolution of 28 July 2022 on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Trudy Harrison: The UK has long recognised the unequivocal threat that environmental degradation poses to the lives and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the world, including the most marginalised and vulnerable. The UK is concerned that environmental degradation can have implications for the full enjoyment of human rights and supported General Assembly Resolution 76/300 on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. You can find our full Explanation of Vote on the resolution here: Explanation of vote on resolution on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Existing UK domestic legislation and regulatory regimes already satisfy our environmental obligations in a way that is sufficiently robust, and cover environmental and human health protection aspects. We remain committed to environmental action and will continue to champion more ambitious efforts in environment protection.

Food: Prices

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will make an assessment of the impact of the increase in cost of food on (a) low income households, (b) students, (c) ethnic minorities and (d) those people earning the national average wage in the UK.

Mark Spencer: We recognise the impact of rising food prices, which are occurring as a result of global shocks, including the spike in oil and gas prices and the conflict in Ukraine. We are keeping the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors all key agricultural commodities. DEFRA has also increased our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real time intelligence. Defra will continue to work with food retailers and producers to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. Annual food price inflation, reported by ONS, was estimated at 16.8% in January 2023, which represented a very slight fall of 0.1 percentage points on the December 2022 rate and the first fall recorded in 18 months. Although this very small decline in food price inflation was reported for January 2023, more data will be needed before we can know if this is the start of a sustained fall. Defra analysis, based on ONS data, shows that every one percent increase in food price inflation increases the average annual United Kingdom household food bill by £34. Defra analysis, based on the 2020 1ONS Family Spending survey, highlights that 11% of the total expenditure of the average United Kingdom household is on food. This varies from 14% for lowest income households to 8% for highest income households.

Shellfish: North East

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the economic impact of crustacean die-offs in the North East on (a) businesses and (b) the fishing industry in that region.

Mark Spencer: We have assessed the impacts of this incident, including a comparison with landing data from previous years and with other parts of the country, for affected species. The North East Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority stock monitoring report (September 2022) indicated that at a regional scale, landings in late 2021 were broadly in line with historic data, and a significant reduction in landings in October and November 2021 were not observed. The stock monitoring report also found, as the 2022 season progressed, lobster landings at a regional level were in line with seasonal expectations. The UK Government currently provides a range of support to the fishing industry in that region, through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) and the £100 million UK Seafood Fund. Since opening in April 2021, FaSS has provided £2.2 million to seafood businesses in the North East and is open for applications now.

Fisheries: North East

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the number of fishing business in the North East that have ceased trading since October 2021.

Mark Spencer: We do not hold the number of fishing business in the North East that have ceased trading since October 2021 so are unable to publish this.

Fisheries: North East

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a yearly breakdown of the number of fishers operating in the North East in each year since 2010.

Mark Spencer: This has already been published: UK sea fisheries annual statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Fisheries: North East

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a yearly breakdown of number of fishers working in the North East in each year since 2010.

Mark Spencer: This has already been published at: UK sea fisheries annual statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Electronic Cigarettes: Waste Disposal

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the compliance of companies selling disposable e-cigarettes with the waste electrical and electronic equipment producer scheme; and whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that those companies are fully compliant with that scheme.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency has the responsibility in England for compliance monitoring registered producers under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations and for investigating and enforcing against producers that do not register. This work is prioritised using a risk-based approach and in line with the Environment Agency’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. Defra and the Environment Agency liaise closely on the operation of the current WEEE regulations and Defra will consider that feedback in our forthcoming consultation on the WEEE regulations later this year.

Home Office

Visas: Applications

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2023 to Question 137918, when the technical issue was first detected; how long it took to resolve the issue; what the estimated cost of fixing the issue was; and when she plans to publish the data.

Robert Jenrick: The technical issue that has prevented the release of customer service standards data for 2022 relates to the wider transition of immigration caseworking from a legacy IT system to the new Atlas system. As part of that change, published datasets relating to immigration casework have also had to be transitioned to new systems. The majority of published datasets have been maintained during this transition.In the case of data on customer service standards, key data attributes needed to calculate performance against the standards for quarterly publication have only recently become available in statistical data systems, as part of the planned transition process. As such, customer service standards data is expected to be reintroduced from the 2023 Quarter 1 migration transparency data release in May.

Overseas Students: Sponsorship

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing licensed student sponsors who are not eligible to register with the Office for Students to achieve a track record of compliance in England; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: Student sponsors which are eligible to register with the Office for Students (OfS) as higher education providers in England continue to gain track record sponsor status once they have passed an annual basic compliance assessment conducted by UKVI for four consecutive years as set out in the Student sponsor guidance which is published on gov.uk.

Visas: Students

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to increase the 20-hour-a-week limit on work for Tier 4 students.

Robert Jenrick: Student visa holders who are studying a full-time course of study, at degree level or above, at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance are already able to work up to 20 hours per week during term-time and full-time during vacation periods.There are currently no plans to increase the number of hours international students on the Student route can work. The Student route is for international students who wish to study in the UK and is not designed as a means to live and work in the UK.

Biometric Residence Permits

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to correct the IT issue which impacted the production of Biometric Residence Permits.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she to plans to compensate people whose Biometric Residence Permits were delayed as a result of the identified IT system error.

Robert Jenrick: In pursuant to the answer 6 February 2023 to question 139256 the Home Office is aware of a previous question related to an IT issue involving the enrolment of a biometric residence permit (BRP) for an individual who lodged a further submission claim (117811). The error was linked to the repeated capture of biometric information earlier in the process, but corrective action has now been taken. As part of transforming the asylum system, we are focused on streamlining, simplifying and digitalising processes to ensure system issues do not occur in the future. If a customer finds their Biometric Residence Permit has been delayed as a result of IT errors or for other reasons, they can make a complaint to the Home Office via Complaints procedure - Home Office - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Any complaint made to the Home Office will be handled on a case by case basis.

Passports: Children

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to significantly reduce the cost of (a) an initial and (b) a renewal application for a child's passport.

Robert Jenrick: Passport fees are set to recover the full cost of providing the service in line with HM Treasury Managing Public Money Guidance. Fees are reviewed annually to ensure compliance with that guidance and at this stage there are no plans to reduce the fee charged for children’s passports.

UK Border Force: Patrol Craft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days HM Cutter (a) Seeker, (b) Searcher, (c) Vigilant, (d) Valiant and (e) Sentinel spent (i) on patrol and (ii) out of service for repair in January 2023.

Robert Jenrick: Vessels become non-operational either to rectify minor faults which only take a short period of time, because they are going into planned maintenance, including the requirement for annual safety assessments and certification and for work as part of our ship life extension programme or due to developing a more significant defect which was unplanned.Border Force will always try to arrange for the longer planned maintenance periods necessary for our vessels to be undertaken, when operational demand is less.For security reasons Border Force does not release information regarding individual vessels

Asylum: Children

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum-seeking children who had recently arrived in the UK without parents or carers were missing from Home Office accommodation in (a) Sussex, (b) London and (c) England as of 13 February 2023.

Robert Jenrick: There are no plans to routinely release data pertaining to missing unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) at this time.As of the 22nd February, 196 UASC were missing.When a young person goes missing the 'missing persons protocol' is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers.The MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol is followed for any looked after child who goes missing from a care setting, including the UASC hotels. When used correctly, similar protocols within police forces have safely reduced the number of missing episodes from placements by 36%.

UK Border Force: Shipping

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to replace the present fleet of Border Force cutters; and whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the cost of replacing that fleet.

Robert Jenrick: The schedule for replacing the Border Force’s fleet of five cutters and six coastal patrol vessels is, as set out in the refresh of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, framed around the existing vessels approaching the end of their lives and requiring replacement over the next five years.The budget on 27 October 2021 announced funding of £74m over the Spending Review period. The full cost of the programme, including beyond the Spending Review period, will be refined once supplier engagement has taken place.

Birth Certificates: LGBT+ People

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 29 June 2021 to Question 20434 on Birth Certificates: LGBT+ People, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing people born before 2009 to retrospectively amend their birth certificates to include both parents who are of the same sex.

Robert Jenrick: No assessment has been made.

Naturalisation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of naturalisation applications were completed within six months in each of the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Secretary of State’s Home Department publishes data on naturalisation applications made and completed every quarter on the Gov.uk website. This includes performance against the six-month service standard for completing applications. The most recent data set was published on 23 February 2023 and can be found here:Visas and citizenship data: Q4 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk),

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many potential scheme operators were in place to run the agricultural seasonal worker visa scheme; on what date were the most recent four scheme operators recruited; and when her Department last made an open call for applications for operators to run the scheme.

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision has been made for agricultural seasonal worker visa holders to remain working in the UK for the duration of their visa if the scheme operator who recruited them becomes unlicensed for any reason.

Robert Jenrick: The welfare of the people using our visa schemes is always of paramount importance to us, including in the Seasonal Worker scheme. In the event that a scheme operator for the Seasonal Worker routes became unlicensed for any reason, the Home Office will consider each case on its own merits and tailor our response accordingly. The licensed sponsors for the Seasonal Worker route are listed on Register of Licensed Sponsors: www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers The Home Office does not provide commentary on when individual organisations enter onto or leave the Register of Licensed Sponsors. The selection of Scheme Operators is led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Details of this process can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/seasonal-worker-visa-route-request-for-information-rfi.

Visas: Charities

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a 12 month Tier 5 (Temporary worker - Charity workers) visa can be extended where the original visa was approved substantially after the desired start date.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a Tier 5 (temporary worker - Charity workers) visa applicant can apply for application cost exemption when an in-country visa extension is subsequently granted.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is possible to apply for a refund for the cost of (a) a tier five temporary charity workers visa and (b) immigration health surcharge in circumstances where that visa is granted after the original start date and an in-country visa extension is subsequently granted.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward application start dates for tier five charity visas from three months to (a) six and (b) nine months in advance, in the context of recent processing times for those visas.

Robert Jenrick: Where a Charity Worker visa (Temporary Work) is granted for less than 12 months at Entry Clearance, they can apply to extend in-country for the remaining leave up to that amount. However, if the full 12-month period has already been granted, it cannot be extended any further.No cost exemption will apply for an in-country visa extension unless there has been an error in the original period of leave granted. If an error has occurred, the Home Office will correct this. The applicant pays for the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) based on the duration of immigration permission requested. If the applicant is granted a shorter period than which they applied, they may receive a partial IHS refund. Currently UKVI are within the published service standard for the Charity Worker (Temporary Worker) route and have continued to meet this target. The unique circumstances of 2022 created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine temporarily prevented the normal service standards being met. Any application which is not considered within service standard at present is due to the complexity of its nature and therefore, no change to application start dates are being considered.

Crime: Young People

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle (a) anti-social behaviour and (b) youth crime.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB). We know the serious impact that persistent ASB can have on both individuals and the wider community.We provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances. They are best placed to understand what is driving the behaviour in question, the impact that it is having, and to determine the most appropriate response.The Home Office published statutory guidance to support local areas to make effective use of these powers. The guidance sets out the importance of focusing on the needs of the victim and the local community, as well as ensuring that the relevant legal tests are met. This guidance was updated in June 2022 to ensure a victim-centered approach to tackling ASB as well as stronger use of the powers and tools in the 2014 Act.Each young life lost to violence is one too many and we are doing everything in our power to keep young people safe. The Government is determined to tackle the underlying causes of serious violence and are redoubling our efforts with a twin-track approach, combining tough enforcement to get dangerous weapons off the streets – including through stop and search methods – with programmes that steer young people away from crime.The Government has made £130m available this financial year (22/23) to tackle serious violence, including murder and knife crime. This includes: a £64m for Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area. VRUs are delivering a range of early intervention and prevention programmes to divert people away from a life of crime. They have reached over 215,000 vulnerable young people in their third year of funding alone.

Prisoners: Police Custody

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police forces have made changes to their procedures following Operation Safeguard in the last six months.

Chris Philp: Under a well-planned operational procedure, police forces are supporting His Majesty’s Prisons Service to respond to pressures on the adult male prison population by making a number of police cells available on a temporary basis.Police forces retain the custody capacity needed to fight crime and keep the public safe and a key principle of Operation Safeguard is that this is not compromised. We are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Prison Service to manage the situation and ensure that the delivery of operational services is not affected.

Home Office: Minimum Wage

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has contracted work to a business named in round 18 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme in the last three years.

Chris Philp: The information requested would only be available at disproportionate cost.

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre: Legal Profession

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answers of 14 July 2022, 26 September 2022 and 9 February 2023 to Questions 32512, 53359 and 138399 on Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC): Legal Profession, what assessment she has made of the reason for the increase in the number of in-person legal visits at Derwentside IRC between 22 and 30 September 2022 compared with the number between 1 July and 21 September 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) operates free legal advice surgeries in immigration removal centres (IRCs) in England under the Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS). Individuals who are detained are entitled to receive up to 30 minutes of advice regardless of financial eligibility or the merits of their case. There is no restriction on the number of surgeries an individual may attend. If an individual who is detained requires substantive advice on a matter which is in scope of legal aid, full legal advice can be provided if the statutory legal aid means and merits criteria are met.Individuals detained in IRCs can also access privately commissioned legal advice, including legally aided advice provided through means other than the DDAS.Access to DDAS legal advice across the immigration removal estate is currently facilitated through both remote means (by telephone and video conferencing) and in-person visits on request. The volume of requests for in-person appointments may vary, with more requests at Derwentside IRC having been made at certain times than at others, and it is currently a matter for the detained individual to decide the means by which their appointment is facilitated.Previously released data was provisional management information, which is not assured to the standard of Official Statistics and is subject to change. We are working with the LAA to better understand the data.

Asylum: Children

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2023 to Question 137785 and the Answer of 31 January 2023 to Question 132555 on Asylum: Hove, what the normal notice period is prior to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children being moved into a hotel site; and what the reduced period of notice was that was referred to in the Answer to Question 132555.

Robert Jenrick: The rise in dangerous small boats crossings means there are significant challenges on providing local authority care places for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). Out of necessity and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give some unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found. We take the welfare of these vulnerable children extremely seriously. We have robust measures in place to ensure that the imminent safeguarding and welfare needs of young people can be met whilst we source more appropriate long-term care placements under the National Transfer Scheme (NTS). The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) was established in 2016 and provides a mechanism for the statutory responsibility for an Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child (UASC) to be transferred from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.The NTS aims to ensure that UASC receive support and accommodation they need. It also enables a more equitable distribution of responsibility for UASC to local authorities across the UK.

UK Border Force: Patrol Craft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on its plans to procure (a) five new cutters and (b) six new coastal patrol vessels.

Robert Jenrick: Progress continues to be made on plans to procure a replacement Cutter and Coastal Patrol Vessel maritime capability for Border Force.

English Language: Education

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, what progress has been made on (a) the review of Education Oversight bodies and (b) appointing new Education Oversight partners for English Language Centres; and will she make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: We keep our immigration policies and processes under constant review, including any future appointment of educational oversight bodies. Any updates will be communicated by my officials in due course.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are accommodated by her Department in the Suites Hotel in Knowsley; and how many of those are (a) women and (b) children.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to help improve (a) security and (b) safeguarding for asylum seekers at the Suites Hotel in Knowsley.

Robert Jenrick: Occupancy levels are recorded at a specific point in time and vary daily. Statistics relating to asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets(opens in a new tab).The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers (including any dependants) who would otherwise be destitute by providing appropriate support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.When using sites for asylum accommodation, we engage with local police and other community stakeholders as early as possible to identify any tensions, but recognise that the unprecedented rise in small boats means we need to accommodate people.All accommodation sites have security staff and we continually review the security at asylum accommodation sites with providers.All incidents at asylum accommodation sites are reported by providers to the Home Office immediately. We then work with the provider to put in additional safety measures if required.The government has been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers needs to stop as they are an expensive short-term solution. The government is working with our accommodation providers to find longer-term accommodation, such as dispersal properties.We do not comment on the security arrangements for particular hotels.

Visas: Vetting

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many referrals were made to law enforcement bodies following her Department's recent review of the Tier 1 (Investor) visa route.

Chris Philp: The Home Secretary made a Written Ministerial Statement on this matter on the 17th January.

Money Laundering

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government has spent on tackling money laundering in its first Economic Crime Plan; and to which programmes that funding was allocated.

Tom Tugendhat: We have strengthened our fight against economic crime through the publication of the landmark Economic Crime Plan in July 2019, which brought together government, law enforcement and the private sector in cooperation to deliver a whole system response to economic crime.The total Spending Review 2021 settlement and the Economic Crime Levy represent an overall package of circa £400 million to tackle economic crime over the next three years.Annual reports and accounts detailing past Departmental expenditure are available on Gov.uk.

Crime: Broadcasting Programmes

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission research into the potential impact of taking part in broadcast television crime documentaries on the operational effectiveness of police forces in England & Wales.

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces in England & Wales took part in television programmes in the period 2020-22; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of participating in those programmes on (a) local communities and (b) reducing crime.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not collect information on how many police forces have taken part in television programmes or documentaries. We do not monitor the operational impact of this and have no plans to do so.Decisions about media engagement are an operational matter for police forces. The College of Policing has published Authorised Professional Practice (APP) which covers engagement with the media.This is available online at: https://www.college.police.uk/app/engagement-and-communication/media-relations

Joint Combating Drugs Unit

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often the Joint Combating Drugs Unit has met since its establishment; and whether she plans to publish the outcomes of those meetings.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Joint Combating Drugs Unit.

Chris Philp: The Joint Combating Drugs Unit is a cross-government unit responsible for driving, co-ordinating and overseeing delivery of the Drug Strategy. It comprises full-time civil servants who are seconded from key government departments.The Drug Strategy includes commitments owned by the six drug strategy departments (the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Education and the Home Office) to be delivered over the strategy’s 10-year timeframe.The Joint Combating Drugs Unit will monitor progress with these and as the Combating Drugs Minister, a cross-government role with overarching accountability for delivery of the ambitions and outcomes in the strategy, I will present an annual report to Parliament. I will also work with the Senior Responsible Owners of local Combating Drugs Partnerships to provide the appropriate support and challenge on local cross-system performance while departments will retain oversight of their delivery partners and specific programmes.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the letter of 9 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on engagement with Hillsborough families.

Chris Philp: The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of correspondence, and follows the Cabinet Office’s guidance titled Guide to Handling Correspondence for Government Departments and Agencies updated in July 2021, which is available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/handling-government-correspondence-guidanceThe suggested standard in the guidance for handling ministerial and public correspondence is that responses should not exceed 20 working days from their receipt by the respective department.The Home Office is considering the Hon. Member’s correspondence of 09 February and, in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance, a response will be sent in due course.

Independent Office for Police Conduct: Pay

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has approved a 2 per cent pay award for the Independent Office of Police Conduct staff.

Chris Philp: Yes, Ministers have agreed the 2022-23 pay award for staff of the Independent Office of Police Conduct.

Fire and Rescue Services: Public Consultation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the consultation on the White Paper on Reforming Our Fire and Rescue Service, which closed on 26 July 2022.

Chris Philp: The Government is clear that further reform of fire and rescue services is necessary and is committed to delivering reform across key areas of focus within the White Paper.The consultation response will be published as soon as possible.

Gender Based Violence: West Midlands

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much and what proportion of funding through the What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls Fund was allocated to organisations in the West Midlands.

Miss Sarah Dines: Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a government priority. VAWG is an unacceptable, preventable issue which blights the lives of millions.In the Tackling VAWG Strategy, the government committed to invest £3 million to better understand what works to prevent VAWG – to invest in high quality, evidence-informed prevention projects, including in schools, aiming to educate and inform children and young people about VAWG, healthy relationships and the consequences of abuse. In 2022, we ran an open competition through which five organisations secured multi-year funding to deliver this work.Four of these organisations will deliver their work nationally. As these projects cover all of England and Wales, it is not possible to provide a precise figure for the value and proportion of funding that benefits the West Midlands.However, the University of Birmingham was successful in its bid for funding through the ‘What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls Fund’ and will receive £1,078,373 million across a three-year period.The University of Birmingham project focuses on research into the WE PROTECT app, to assess whether remote services providing free and immediate legal assistance to domestic abuse victims (from across England and Wales) reduce victimisation rates and improve their physical and mental health.

Visas: Pay

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of relaxing the salary requirements for visa applicants.

Robert Jenrick: A key principle of the immigration system is that sponsors of Skilled Workers must be offering pay at least at the going rate before seeking to sponsor workers from overseas. The salary requirements of the Skilled Worker immigration route have been devised so that migrant workers are not used to undercut resident workers and to ensure migrant workers are not abused.Our immigration should not be seen as an alternative for employers to avoid improving pay and conditions for its workforce or investing in technology.

Refugees: Resettlement

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a National Integration Strategy to help improve refugee integration outcomes.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing employment support for refugees.

Robert Jenrick: All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy. Refugees in the UK have access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration and we are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.The Government recognises the ability to speak English is key to helping refugees integrate into life in the UK, as well as to breaking down barriers to work and career progression.The Government is committed to offering an enhanced integration package for refugees arriving through safe and legal routes, to help them integrate and become self-sufficient more quickly. This will be delivered in England through the Refugee Employability Programme (REP), centred on the three key pillars tailored employment support, integration support and English language training.

Refugees: Resettlement

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to set a new target for refugee resettlement under the UK Resettlement Scheme.

Robert Jenrick: As the Prime Minister set out in his statement to Parliament on 13 December 2022, as we get a grip on illegal migration, we will introduce an annual quota on the number of refugees admitted to the UK via safe and legal routes.The quota will be agreed by parliament and will be amendable in the face of humanitarian emergencies. In developing the quota, we will engage with local authorities and relevant sector bodies to determine capacity.

UK Border Force: Strikes

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the recent industrial strike action by the Border Force staff on operations at air, sea and rail ports across the UK.

Robert Jenrick: Due to the significant planning and mitigations that were put in place, the periods of Industrial Action have not compromised Border Force’s ability to maintain a secure border, which is our key priority. The disruption to the travelling public was kept to a minimum as a result of the extensive planning and from the initial data available the vast majority of passengers were cleared within agreed service standards. This will be confirmed as part of the regular publication of Home Office transparency data.

Asylum: Children

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police informed her Department that asylum-seeking children who had recently arrived in the UK without parents or carers and who were staying in Home Office accommodation could be targeted by human traffickers.

Robert Jenrick: All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking and to identify any vulnerabilities.If there are any indicators that a child is potentially at risk of modern slavery a referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The Single Competent Authority (SCA) will make a decision on this referral.  Children who are identified to be at risk are placed on a safety plan by the safeguarding team.We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in temporary hotel accommodation. Many of those who have gone missing are subsequently traced and located. There are many reasons why children go missing from care and this is also true of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.The safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our primary concern. Robust safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. This includes support workers being onsite in the hotels 24 hours a day, including nurses and social workers. All contingency sites have security staff on site and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to take steps to create safe and legal routes for migrants travelling across the channel in small boats.

Robert Jenrick: The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through existing resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme, and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).There are no plans to establish safe and legal routes for migrants crossing the Channel. Individuals should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach - that is the fastest route to safety. Our focus remains on helping people in genuine need directly from regions of conflict and instability.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Towns Fund

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much of the £3.6 billion allocated to the Towns Fund has been spent.

Dehenna Davison: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Towns Fund

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 2.6 of his Department's guidance entitled Towns Fund: Prospectus published on 1 November 2019, whether there will be a competition for further towns to develop a Town Deal Board, a Town Investment Plan and to agree a Town Deal.

Dehenna Davison: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress has been made in developing secondary legislation on overseas voting.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to have implemented secondary legislation on overseas voting.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate ID requirements for overseas voters.

Lee Rowley: The Elections Act gained Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. The necessary secondary legislation is currently being developed and will be brought forward in due course. Announcements will be made in the usual way.Individuals applying to register as overseas electors are currently subject to identity checks.

Urban Areas: Shops

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has taken steps to help increase the diversity of local high streets to encourage more people to shop locally.

Dehenna Davison: This Government is fully committed to supporting our town centres and high streets to adapt and evolve. We are enabling places to transform their high streets and town centres into thriving commercial, social and cultural hubs.  We also strongly support people shopping locally.To do so, we have reformed the use classes order to enable more flexible use of existing buildings. The use class reform creates a new 'commercial, business and service' use class which encompasses a wide range of uses which attract people to high streets and town centres. This includes offices and other business uses, shops, cafes, gyms and other uses for visiting members of the public which are suitable in a high street. Premises can move between such uses without the need for a planning application. This builds on longer-term structural interventions and funding by Government to support high streets and town centres, including the £3.6bn Towns Fund, £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund and the work of the High Street Task Force which has now supported around 115 local authorities in areas such as placemaking, planning and design.My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State was pleased to visit the New Lubbesthorpe community on 24 February 2023 and to see first-hand how such long-term structural interventions can benefit communities.

Regional Planning and Development: Local Government Finance

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department provided capability and capacity funding to local authorities bidding to the (a) Levelling Up Fund, (b) Community Renewal Fund, (c) Shared Prosperity Fund, (d) Towns Fund, (e) Town Deals and (f) Future High Streets Fund in the last three years.

Dehenna Davison: The department has provided capability and capacity funding to local authorities bidding across each of the funds mentioned.

Levelling Up Fund

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the oral answer from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Levelling Up) to the Question of 20 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Nottingham North, Official Report column 9, where the referenced apology in the select committee transcript is found.

Dehenna Davison: I refer the Hon. Member to Q259 of the select committee session .

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare of 17 November 2022 and 19 December 2022 on behalf of his constituent Robert Dykes on boycotts.

Felicity Buchan: I apologise for the delay in responding to my Hon. Friend's correspondence. The department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from Honourable Members. A response was issued on the 24 February 2023.

Private Rented Housing

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve the (a) suitability and (b) affordability of private rental housing stock.

Fleur Anderson: With reference to the cost of living crisis, to ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken to prevent the evictions of people with disabilities and their families from (a) private rented accommodation and (b) social housing.

Felicity Buchan: The Government is committed to fundamentally improving the private rented sector and providing a better deal for renters, including by halving levels of non-decency in all rented homes by 2030.Disabled people in the private rented sector can also apply to their local authority for a Disabled Facilities Grant, that can contribute towards the cost of adapting an eligible person's home to make it more suitable. Since 2010 Government has invested £4.8bn billion into the Disabled Facilities Grant (2010-11 to 2022-23), delivering an estimated 490,000 home adaptations.All renters deserve to feel secure in their homes. We will deliver our manifesto commitment to abolish section 21 no fault evictions.Where tenants in social housing are struggling with cost of living or rent payments, the Pre-Action Protocol for Possession Claims by Social Landlords, sets out the actions social landlords should take before they consider taking legal action.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his planned timetable is for the abolition of Section 21.

Felicity Buchan: Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home and ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for this Government. The Queen's Speech committed to introducing a Renters Reform Bill that would repeal section 21 evictions and we will do so as soon as time allows in this Parliament.

Elections: Visual Impairment

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that voting is more accessible for blind and partially sighted people before the local elections in May 2023.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to help ensure voting is accessible for blind and partially sighted people before the next the General Election.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave to Questions UIN 119056 and 121031 on the 16 and 20 January 2023.

Electoral Register: Disability

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help increase voter registration amongst people with disabilities before the next general election.

Lee Rowley: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) continues to take steps to support the participation of disabled people in the electoral process.This includes making registering to vote as easy and accessible as possible. Major reforms to our electoral registration system have resulted in record levels of electors registering to vote and participating in our democracy. The online Register to Vote service is also accredited as WCAG AA for online accessibility, which is in line with the Government Digital Service (GDS) service standard targets for GOV services.It is the responsibility of individual Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) to ensure the registration of all eligible people, and of EROs and the Electoral Commission to raise awareness of how to register. Recognising those responsibilities, DLUHC works closely with organisations representing disabled people and the electoral sector. This includes convening the Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes representatives from across the UK and gives a focus to work to support the participation of disabled people in the electoral process.The Electoral Commission's 2019 report on the accuracy and completeness of electoral registers in Great Britain indicated that 'people with a long-standing physical condition or disability are more likely to be registered (92%) than those without a disability (82%), or those with a longstanding mental condition or disability (83%).'

Elections: Canterbury

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people on the electoral register in Canterbury who will be affected by the requirement to produce voter ID at the May 2023 local elections.

Lee Rowley: Further to the response to the UQ I gave on the floor of the House on 21 February 2023, the Cabinet Office has published an extensive survey on levels of ownership of photographic identification, which includes geographical breakdowns. The results have been published here.

Buildings: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress he has made on cladding and non-cladding remediation for residential buildings in Portsmouth South constituency.

Lee Rowley: As at 31 January 2023, a total of 10 residential buildings over 18 metres in height in the constituency of Portsmouth South have been identified as having unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding or have been deemed eligible for the Building Safety Fund due to the presence of unsafe non-ACM cladding.   Remediation work has started or been completed on 6 of these buildings.We will continue to work to improve buildings with cladding issues across the country over the coming months.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to record the number of people unable to vote at polling places due to not having a valid ID.

Lee Rowley: As set out in Schedule 1 of the Elections Act 2022, such data will be collected at the upcoming scheduled local elections in May 2023, and the next two UK parliamentary general elections, in order to inform the reports the Government will publish on the impact of this policy after each of those elections.I also refer the Hon. Member to the response to the UQ I gave on the floor of the House on 21 February 2023.

Business Rates: Urban Areas

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the law in relation to business rates to assist businesses in town centres.

Lee Rowley: The Chancellor published the final report of the Business Rates Review at Autumn Statement 2021. The Government will bring forward legislation to implement the conclusions of the Review as soon as Parliamentary time allows. At the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022, the Chancellor announced a further package of business rates measures worth £13.6 billion over the next five years.   The package includes a retail, hospitality and leisure scheme that will provide a 75% relief to eligible properties in 2023/24, up to £110,000 per business. This scheme alone will provide £2.1 billion of taxpayer subsidy to high streets and town centres.

Affordable Housing: Rural Areas

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) local councils and (b) housing associations develop plans for more Rural Exception Sites.

Rachel Maclean: The National Planning Policy Framework already makes clear that planning policies and decisions should be responsive to local circumstances in rural areas. Our Rural Exception Sites policy allows for the development of small affordable housing sites in rural areas, with the majority of housing on these sites being available to local people in perpetuity, and we published planning practice guidance in 2020 to help local authorities and developers bring more of these sites forward.Our proposals for the National Planning Policy Framework launched for consultation on 22 December 2022 and we would encourage engagement with the consultation. As part of this consultation we are seeking views on how we can strengthen the role of community groups in delivering affordable housing, particularly in rural areas.

Social Rented Housing: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of social rented housing in Portsmouth South constituency.

Rachel Maclean: This Government is committed to the continued provision of affordable housing, which is why we are investing £11.5 billion through our Affordable Homes Programme to deliver tens of thousands of homes across the country.The department's Levelling-up White Paper outlined our intention to increase the volume of Social Rented accommodation, and the Affordable Homes Programme will respond to this aim by increasing the volume of Social Rent homes delivered through the Programme.

Housing: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of changes in the National Planning Policy Framework on the supply of new homes in Portsmouth South constituency.

Rachel Maclean: This Government is committed to accelerating housing delivery to make home buying a reality for a new generation. We want decisions about homes to be driven locally and we want to get more local plans in place to deliver the homes we need. That is why we remain committed to a 300k target and to retaining a clear starting point for calculating local housing needs, and we know the best way to get more homes is having more up-to-date local plans in place.Analysis set out in the recently published impact assessment for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill suggests that local authorities with up-to-date local plans have higher levels of housing supply compared to authorities with out-of-date local plans, or no plan at all. Our proposals in the National Planning Policy Framework consultation seek to encourage plan making, and for local planning authorities such as Portsmouth getting up-to-date plans in place is the best way to improve housing delivery and provide the homes to meet the needs of their communities.The proposals in the consultation are not yet government policy. We will carefully analyse the responses to the consultation, and any subsequent changes in policy will be confirmed when the Framework is updated later in 2023.

Planning Permission: Events Industry

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of planning regulations that allow temporary events that alter the streetscape in (a) town squares and (b) other spaces on levels of disorientation for the visually impaired.

Rachel Maclean: In relation to the pavement licence regime, we have worked closely with groups, including the RNIB and Guide Dogs, in preparing guidance which sets out considerations that local authorities should take into account when determining applications. This includes specific considerations for the impact that licences will have on disabled people, including the visually impaired.There are existing national permitted development rights which enable the temporary use of land for a range of purposes, such as markets and temporary events, and which allow the provision of associated moveable structures on the land. We expect local authorities to act proportionately and in accordance with their own equality duties when undertaking development in their authority area.

Supported Housing: Older People

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of people over 65 years old live in housing with care developments in England.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the taskforce on Older People’s Housing will be launched.

Rachel Maclean: The department does not hold official statistics on this but the 'English Housing Survey Older people's housing 2020-21' includes data on households headed by an older person aged 65 and over.Announcements will be made in the usual way.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department plans to take to provide housing providers with support to meet the standards set out in the forthcoming Social Housing Regulation Bill.

Dehenna Davison: Registered providers of social housing already have a duty to comply with the Regulator of Social Housing's standards. The Regulator will consult on its revised consumer standards following the passage of legislation and the issuance of government directions, and is already conducting extensive engagement with the sector to prepare providers for the new regulatory regime.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what percentage of social housing tenants were in rent arrears (a) in 2023 and (b) in 2010.

Dehenna Davison: The English Housing Survey provides annual data on the proportion of social renters who are in rent arrears. This data is available for 2011-12 to 2021-22 and is published online here.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure social landlords are treating damp and mould issues in properties promptly.

Dehenna Davison: I refer my Hon Friend to the answer to Question UIN 133645 given on 26 January 2023.We have now tabled an amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill to introduce 'Awaab's Law' which will require landlords to fix reported health hazards within specified timeframes and we will review damp and mould guidance with the aim to provide consolidated guidance for the housing sector.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Information Commissioner's Office: Data Protection

Sir Mike Penning: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Information Commissioner’s Office to (a) maintain a (i) central and (ii) publicly accessible repository of privacy notices providing the required Articles 13 and 14 information in the standard format and (b) challenge organisations where the information provided does not fully and clearly inform data subjects.

Paul Scully: The UK Data Protection regime is administered and enforced independently of the government by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Article 52(1) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) requires that the Information Commissioner is to act with complete independence in performing his tasks and exercising his powers under the UK GDPR. Article 52(2) goes on to require that the Commissioner must remain free from external influence and neither seek nor take instructions from anybody when carrying out his functions under the UK GDPR. The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) sets out further detail about the governance arrangements and responsibilities of the Information Commissioner, in particular at Part 5 and Schedule 12.The Information Commissioner is directly accountable to Parliament and reports against agreed key performance indicators to the DCMS Select Committee. The ICO-DCMS management agreement provides more information about the relationship between the ICO and DCMS, and can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/who-we-are/relationship-with-the-dcms/.The UK GDPR can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/contents, whilst the DPA can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/contents/enacted.

Data Protection

Sir Mike Penning: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to require that statutory disclosures under articles 13 and 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation be presented in a standard format that (a) identifies (i) all the personal data categories processed for each purpose and (ii) the lawful basis for each purpose and (b) itemises the rights available to data subjects in each case.

Paul Scully: Articles 13 and 14 give data subjects the right to be informed about the collection and use of their personal data. Article 13 and 14 already stipulate that controllers must include (i) information about the purposes of the processing for which the personal data are intended as well as the legal basis for the processing, and (ii) information about the rights available to the data subject in relation to their information, such as the rights of access, rectification and erasure.Article 12 of the UK GDPR states that the information provided in Articles 13 and 14 must be provided in a ‘concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language’. Additionally, Article 12 makes provision for this information to be provided in a variety of formats, rather than a single, standard format (‘the information shall be provided in writing, or by other means, including, where appropriate, by electronic means’).The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provides detailed guidance on the right to be informed. This guidance sets out that it is most effective to provide information to data subjects using a combination of different techniques including layering, dashboards, and just-in-time notices. The guidance also provides advice for controllers on what to consider when presenting this information to a data subject. This can be accessed here: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/the-right-to-be-informed/

Coronavirus: Disinformation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of potential sources of covid-19 disinformation.

Paul Scully: DSIT’s Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) stood up in March 2020 to address COVID-19-related disinformation and has been responding to acute disinformation risks ever since. Mis and disinformation can come from a range of sources, and the CDU takes an actor agnostic approach, working closely with social media platforms to support the introduction of systems and processes that promote authoritative sources of information.

Telecommunications: Infrastructure

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the provisions of the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) 2003 and The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 governing planning permission to expand Fibre to the Premises broadband for designated communications network operators and to the length of notice such operators must give to the Local Planning Authority for the erection and siting of telegraph poles and excavation of pavements, what assessment she has made of the consequences for those provisions and notice of the (a) disruption to residents and (b) permanent effects of new telegraph poles; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (i) limiting the number of times new cable can be laid in the same street by different operators and (ii) giving residents a right to consultation over erection of telegraph poles.

Paul Scully: Access to digital services is increasingly important to businesses and consumers throughout the UK. The Government is committed to ensuring the right legislative framework is in place to ensure that there is a competitive broadband market and ensure that everyone receives the connectivity they need at a price which is affordable. At the same time, we recognise that the framework must take into account any effects on the local community.Operators are given statutory rights to carry out streetworks and install apparatus on or below a street or road under Part 8 of the Electronic Communications Code. In addition, the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003 set out the circumstances where lines can be installed above ground and what the notice requirements are for doing so. Finally, operators are required to seek permission to carry out this work from the local highway authority and should also follow the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice, a copy of which is here. Together these measures ensure that telegraph poles are placed appropriately, and local authorities and communities are engaged prior to their installation.The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, which received Royal Assent on 6 December 2022, includes provisions which make it easier for operators to share existing infrastructure, including underground ducts. This should help reduce the need for future new pole installations, reduce the costs of providing new services and encourage competition within the market. The Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the measures and compliance by operators with the measures set out above.

Clinical Trials: Reviews

Chi Onwurah: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release entitled Lord O'Shaughnessy to lead independent review into UK clinical trials, published on 20 February 2023, what budget her Department has allocated to the review.

George Freeman: No specific budget has been allocated to the review. Existing staff have been temporarily re-allocated in order to support the running of the review.

Employment: Surveillance

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help protect employees from (a) tracking surveillance and (b) covert monitoring.

Paul Scully: Monitoring of employees by employers must not breach the duty of trust and confidence implied into an employee's contract of employment and must comply with the European Convention of Human Rights, Data Protection legislation and Equality Act 2010. Employers are neither expressly permitted to monitor employees, nor are they prohibited from doing so.Organisations that process workers’ personal data for the purposes of monitoring their activities or surveillance must comply with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (‘UK GDPR’) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (‘DPA’). This means that the data processing must be fair, lawful and transparent.The UK GDPR and the DPA are administered and enforced independently of the government by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO publishes a range of advice and guidance for organisations on their data protection obligations.The ICO have been consulting on draft guidance on the data protection considerations which are likely to be relevant if an employer is minded to use tracking or surveillance technologies to monitor the activities of employees. The draft guidance discusses the need for employers to make workers aware of the nature, extent and reasons for the monitoring unless exceptional circumstances mean that covert monitoring is necessary. The draft guidance, entitled Employment practices: monitoring at work can be viewed on the ICO’s website.

Housing: Broadband

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help improve access to full-fibre broadband for households.

Paul Scully: The Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible. Today, 74% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks, up from just 6% in February 2019. By 2025, the Government is targeting a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage, and we are investing £5 billion as part of Project Gigabit to ensure the hardest-to-reach areas in the UK receive coverage.Through Project Gigabit, we have issued procurements with a value of over £700 million to deliver gigabit connections to hard-to-reach homes and businesses across the UK, including a £6.6 million contract covering over 4,000 premises in Teesdale in Durham.Alongside this, the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme allows eligible individuals and businesses to apply for vouchers to help incentivise broadband providers to build in certain areas. The scheme and its previous iterations have already issued more than 111,000 vouchers, and are enhancing the scheme further by boosting the value of vouchers so individual applicants can access as much as £4,500 worth of support.We have also made it as easy and attractive as possible for firms to build their networks, having instructed Ofcom to increase competition and investment in the market. These measures include reducing barriers to entry by requiring Openreach to offer competitors access to their existing duct and pole network via Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) where possible, rather than deploying new infrastructure.We also introduced measures in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to specifically assist telecoms operators providing broadband services, such as an increased ability to upgrade and share the existing duct and pole network and a procedure to deal with non-responsive landowners. This is in addition to the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021, which makes it easier for broadband operators to install in multiple dwelling units where the landlord is repeatedly unresponsive to requests for access.Additionally, it is a priority to ensure that new homes are built with fast, reliable and resilient broadband. On 26 December 2022, new regulations came into force making it mandatory for new homes in England to be future-proofed with gigabit-ready physical infrastructure and - where they can be provided within a cost cap - gigabit-capable connections. This will help ensure that many more new households each year get the connectivity they want and need without costly and disruptive installation work after the home is built.

Digital Technology: Older People

Saqib Bhatti: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to develop the digital skills of older people, particularly those who may be at risk of digital exclusion.

Paul Scully: To improve access to digital skills, the government has introduced a digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills. This allows older people wishing to acquire essential digital skills to gain specified digital qualifications, up to level 1, free of charge. Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQs), introduced alongside the digital entitlement, are based on new national standards which set out the digital skills people need to get on in life and work. We also support the provision of essential digital skills training in community settings through the Adult Education Budget.Assisted digital support is available to help older people access online services. Around 2900 public libraries in England provide a trusted network of accessible locations with staff, volunteers, free DCMS-funded wifi, Public PCs, and assisted digital access to a wide range of digital services. The Government is working closely with the third sector to support older people getting online. Charities such as AgeUK and AbilityNet play an important role in providing help with technology and the internet.

Technology: Employment

Julian Knight: To ask Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help create jobs in high-tech sectors.

Paul Scully: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will be the driving force behind Government’s commitment to growing the economy, improving the lives of everyone in the UK through stronger growth, better jobs and new discoveries that advance the health and prosperity of society, whilst ensuring users are protected from harm online.Last year, the Government published the UK’s Digital Strategy which outlines our plan to grow the digital economy and create more high-skilled, high wage jobs by cementing the UK as a Science and Tech superpower.The Government is increasing publicly funded and economy-wide R&D; this spending will increase £20 billion per annum by 2024/25, supporting the creation of additional jobs in high-tech sectors. We are also funding programmes aimed at boosting the growth of innovative tech start-ups and scale-ups in all corners of the country.In order to create new jobs in high-tech sectors we need to address industry’s current and future demand for digital and other high-tech skills. We are leading work across Government and with industry to grow the digital workforce, tackle the digital skills gap and support a diverse range of people into digital roles. Our work is focusing on broadening and deepening the pool of talent. The Digital Skills Council convenes stakeholders from across the sector to deliver industry led action on driving the growth of the digital workforce, including widening the skills pipelines.The £12.9 million Digital Growth Grant builds on more than £42.2 million invested by the government to support tech start-ups and scaleups. The grant will fund targeted support programmes, delivered by Barclays Eagle Labs, to help tech businesses across the country grow and create jobs. Combined investment from Government and Eagle Labs will benefit over 22,000 businesses in the next two years, with at least 80% based outside London.Combined investmentWe recognise the importance of improving the diversity of the digital workforce and have supported the Tech Talent Charter since 2016. The Tech Talent Charter is helping to improve the diversity of the digital workforce by improving reporting on diversity statistics and fostering collaboration to create a more diverse tech workforce.

Counter Disinformation Unit

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Counter Disinformation Unit has collected information on (a) sitting Members, (b) former Members, (c) political activists and (d) political organisations since the Unit's formation.

Paul Scully: The Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) monitors narratives, trends and attempts to artificially manipulate the information environment online. It does not monitor individuals, however the content reviewed may incidentally include personal data, such as names and social media handles embedded within content published on publicly available sites. The CDU has a legal basis for collecting or processing any personal data as set out in Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR, and the processing is necessary for us in our work as a public body and in the public interest.Freedom of expression and the media are essential qualities of any functioning democracy; people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely. The CDU’s role is not to spot every instance of disinformation but where harmful content is identified in the course of the CDU’s work which may breach a platform Terms of Service, this may be referred to the relevant platform who will consider whether or not to take any action. The CDU’s work is consistent with the Government’s principles and values on protecting freedom of expression and promoting a free, open, and secure internet and as such no action is taken on any content originating from journalists or politicians.

Counter Disinformation Unit

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding her Department provided to the Counter Disinformation Unit in each year since that Unit's formation.

Paul Scully: Addressing the challenges of disinformation is a whole of the government effort. The Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU) is a team within the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) which works in close partnership with other government teams. Requirements are continually reviewed to ensure appropriate levels of resourcing, including surge capacity as needed. It would not be appropriate to comment on funding levels publicly as doing so would give malign actors insight into the scale of our capabilities.

Department for Business and Trade

Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreements: India

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department has taken to progress (a) economic development and (b) trade initiatives at the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors’ Summit 2023.

Nigel Huddleston: This Government is committed to driving mutual prosperity between the UK and all states of India, including Uttar Pradesh. My Hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham, Minister for Defence Procurement, led a delegation of over 30 UK businesses to Uttar Pradesh’s Global Investor’s Summit 10-12 February. He announced seven Memorandums of Understanding between UK businesses and the state of Uttar Pradesh, with businesses committing £165million of investment into Uttar Pradesh and generating almost a thousand jobs in the state.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of creating a garment trade adjudicator to monitor trading practices on (a) pay and conditions, (b) environmental rights, (c) women's rights and (d) trade union representation in the supply chains of UK brands and retailers.

Kevin Hollinrake: In response to the Single Enforcement Body consultation published in 2021, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to continue engaging with enforcement bodies and industry partners to strengthen our understanding of the garment trade. We will continue to review this issue and consider options to drive up standards across the sector. The fashion sector relies on complex supply chains crossing multiple borders. Retailers only have direct relationships with suppliers they have a contract with, not their tier 2 or 3 suppliers, and an adjudicator could not regulate relationships with sub-contractors. This raises issues in terms of feasibility of an adjudicator to effectively regulate the vast complexity of global fashion supply chains, and risks driving even more production offshore.Since October 2020, a wide group of stakeholders comprising retailers, manufacturers and non-profit organisations have worked with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority to address poor working, pay, and purchasing practices in UK supply chains.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a garment trade adjudicator.

Kevin Hollinrake: In response to the Single Enforcement Body consultation published in 2021, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to continue engaging with enforcement bodies and industry partners to strengthen our understanding of the garment trade. We will continue to review this issue and consider options to drive up standards across the sector. The fashion sector relies on complex supply chains crossing multiple borders. Retailers only have direct relationships with suppliers they have a contract with, not their tier 2 or 3 suppliers, and an adjudicator could not regulate relationships with sub-contractors. This raises issues in terms of feasibility of an adjudicator to effectively regulate the vast complexity of global fashion supply chains, and risks driving even more production offshore.

Cammell Laird: Workplace Pensions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many former employees from Cammell Laird are still in receipt of British Shipbuilders pensions; and if she will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: British Shipbuilder pensions were transferred to Legal & General on 1 December 1994. His Majesty’s Government does not hold any data on the number of former employees from Cammell Laird in receipt of pensions.

Delivery Services: Standards

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if her Department will take steps to help improve service delivery standards of parcel delivery companies.

Kevin Hollinrake: Ofcom, which is the independent regulator for the sector, has powers to impose requirements on postal operators to protect customers. In its review of the regulatory framework for post last year, Ofcom concluded that competition in the parcels market was driving benefits for consumers but that there were some problems that needed to be addressed. It proposed new guidance on complaints handling processes for parcel operators which will take effect from 1 April 2023. Ofcom has committed to ongoing monitoring and to consider enforcement action, or further regulation, if progress is not made.

Ombudsman: Codes of Practice

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what penalties the Office for Product Safety and Standards can impose on a regulator for repeated breaches of the regulators code.

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average time was for the Office for Product Safety and Standards to conduct an investigation into a regulator for repeated breaches of the regulators code in the latest period for which data is available.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Regulators Code is established under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006. It provides a clear, flexible and principles-based framework for how regulators should engage with those they regulate. The Act does not make provision for sanctions, penalties or investigations in respect of adherence by a regulator with the principles of the Code. Routine enquires in respect of the Code received by the Office for Product Safety and Standards are managed within internal service standard time limits of five working days.

Future Fund

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the data by the British Business Bank on Companies in which the Future Fund has an equity stake, what the total value is of the equity interest retained by the Future Fund in the 83 companies listed as having entered into administration or insolvency proceedings.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Future Fund is a government scheme to support UK-based companies ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors. The scheme, alongside other Government support schemes, aims to support companies facing financing difficulties due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The Future Fund scheme is being delivered by the British Business Bank (BBB). In respect of the 83 companies which have gone into administration or insolvency, those companies’ loans had not converted into equity and therefore the equity value retained by the Future Fund is zero.

Future Fund: Ceredigion

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many companies registered in Ceredigion received financial support under the Future Fund.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Future Fund is a government scheme to support UK-based companies ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors. The scheme, alongside other Government support schemes, aims to support companies facing financing difficulties due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The Future Fund scheme is being delivered by the British Business Bank (BBB). The number of Convertible Loan Agreements (CLAs) issued by the Future Fund in Wales was 25 with a total value of £18.7m. Future Fund data is not provided on a constituency level.

Small Businesses: Exports

Saqib Bhatti: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support small businesses in trading overseas and overcoming barriers to competing in international markets.

Nigel Huddleston: As part of its Export Strategy, the UK Government has published a 12-point plan to help businesses at every stage of exporting. The plan addresses the barriers UK companies face when exporting. The Export Strategy supports companies through its network of domestic and overseas advisers; the Export Support Service; and the Export Academy. These services are designed to provide businesses with knowledge to thrive in international markets. Last year we overcame 192 barriers restricting trade in over 79 countries; 45 of these are estimated to be worth around £5 billion to businesses across the UK over the next five years.

Trade Promotion

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2023 to Question 134004 on Trade Promotion, when she will publish the findings of the Export Client Survey for financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23.

Nigel Huddleston: The Export Client Survey launched in 2018 and the findings for the 2018-2019 financial year have been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trade-export-client-survey-ecs. We intend to publish the subsequent Export Client Survey findings as per the Department’s monitoring and evaluation strategy and in line with the Government Social Research protocol.

Trade Missions: English Language

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the most recent date on which one or more representatives of the English language teaching (ELT) sector were (a) invited on and (b) able to attend a trade mission organised by the Government.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if her Department will make a estimated projection of the number of students participating in the English language teaching sector in each of the next three years; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help support the recovery of the English language teaching sector; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: The most recent trade mission in which representatives from the English language teaching (ELT) sector were invited and attended was to Malaysia from 20-23 February 2023. The projected number of students participating in the English language teaching sector for 2023 - 2025 is 385,000 per year [Source: English UK). We work closely with English UK, who are members of the Education Sector Advisory Group, co-chaired by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Department for Education ministers. We have provided support for English UK’s English with Confidence campaign, including through the production of promotional material and hosting around 50 overseas ELT agents during a familiarisation visit in September 2022. We will continue to ensure that the ELT sector’s recovery and ambition is captured in the Government’s International Education Strategy. DBT will be supporting English UK’s Study World event and will support the sector at ICEF (International Consultants for Education and Fairs) Berlin, alongside considering ELT mission destinations for the next 15 months.

Department for Business and Trade: Consultants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the cost to the public purse of spending on external consultants by (a) Companies House, (b) the Insolvency Service, (c) the Intellectual Property Office and (d) the Met Office was in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021, and (iii) 2022; and whether any of that spending related to the preparation of funding bids to (A) her predecessor Departments and (B) HM Treasury.

Nigel Huddleston: The expenditure on external consultants by Companies House and the Insolvency Service is provided below. In line with the Cabinet Office’s control framework for consultancy and professional services, these figures include some expenditure on professional services for the purposes of delivery or implementation to fill skills gaps, not just advisory work.Figures for Companies House:YearTotal Consultancy ExpenditureExpenditure on preparation of funding bids2020£527,876£02021£482,753£02022£2,948,953£0Figures for the Insolvency Service:YearTotal Consultancy ExpenditureExpenditure on preparation of funding bids2020£602,965£151,4002021£983,427£113,1692022£903,099£8,700The Intellectual Property Office and the Met Office are now both part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Measurement

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing levels at local weights and measures authorities.

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of weighing and measuring equipment inspections conducted by local weights and measures authorities in the latest period for which data is available.

Kevin Hollinrake: Section 70 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985 requires Local Weights and Measures Authorities in Great Britain to report on their Weights and Measures enforcement work over a twelve-month period. The most recent report for 2021-22 was published on GOV.UK on 31 October 2022 and includes information on staffing levels and numbers of inspections. Local authorities make resourcing decisions relating to the delivery of their statutory duties and local priorities.

UK Trade With EU: Rules of Origin

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Rules of Origin agreement with the European Union until 2027; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: The Rules of Origin we negotiated with the EU were developed in close consultation with stakeholders and designed to reflect the needs of UK-EU supply chains. For some sectors, such as electrified vehicles and batteries, we negotiated transitional rules until 2027 to help industry adapt to these new requirements. It is not current Government policy to seek any extensions to the Rules of Origin with the EU, however, Department for Business and Trade officials are in regular dialogue with industry in these sectors to understand their readiness for any upcoming changes.

Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government plans to develop bilateral youth mobility schemes with EU member states; and if she will take steps to help secure such agreements.

Kevin Hollinrake: We remain open to negotiating Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories including EU Member States. As with previous agreements that we have concluded, Government's approach will be to ensure that the UK nationals benefit from any such new arrangements. Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.

Motor vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of the closure of the Honda car production plant in Swindon on the UK automotive industry.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The automotive sector is an important part of the Government’s plans for green growth, levelling up across our country and driving emissions to net zero by 2050. Since Honda’s disappointing announcement in February 2019 on the closure of its manufacturing operations in UK and Europe, we have worked with local partners in Swindon to support affected workers, including in the supply chain. We are pleased that the new owners of the site, Panattoni, are looking to create 7,000 jobs.

Manchester United: Qatar

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any officials, advisers or ministers from her Department have held discussions with representatives of (a) the Qatari government, (b) the consortium led by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani or (c) Manchester United Football Club on that consortium's proposed takeover of that club.

Nigel Huddleston: There has been no engagement to discuss Manchester United Football Club investment or takeover with the Qataris.

Electric Vehicles

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of cars produced in the UK were electric vehicles in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2019, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: This information is not held centrally. However, figures supplied by the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders (SMMT) show the proportion of vehicles produced in the UK in recent years that were fully electric or hybrid electric. Please note these figures do not go as far back to 2010 or 2015. Year Proportion of electric or hybrid electric cars produced (%)20189.4%201914.8%202018.8%202126.1%202230.2%

Motor vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the trend in the level of car production in the UK.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Shortages of semiconductors continue to be a key factor in the reduction in production in 2021 and 2022 – this has been a global phenomenon. However, in 2022 there were record levels of electrified vehicle production with almost a third (30.2%) of all cars made fully electric or hybrid. These accounted for 44.7% of the value of all UK car exports. We are determined to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing as we transition to electric vehicles.

Trade Union Recognition

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require every employer to have a recognised trade union in the workplace.

Kevin Hollinrake: Collective bargaining in the UK is largely a matter for individual employers, their employees and their trade unions. Many employers recognise a union voluntarily. Where an employer refuses to recognise a union, our trade union law provides for a statutory recognition procedure. This allows independent unions to apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to be statutorily recognised for collective bargaining purposes. Unions that can demonstrate that they have majority support for recognition in the workplace will secure statutory recognition from the CAC. The UK’s system is based therefore on the democratic wishes of workers in the workplace.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy: Medical Equipment

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2023 to Question 135303 on Medical Equipment: Energy, when the Government plans to announce additional targeted support for energy bills; and whether those plans will include targeted financial support to families with children who receive life-saving treatment at home for chronic diseases and disabilities.

Graham Stuart: The Autumn Statement set out a commitment to work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach to consumer protection from April 2024, including options such as social tariffs, as part of wider retail market reforms. Officials are considering the options and proactively discussing these with stakeholders. As part of this work, the Government is working with disability organisations, assessing the need for specific support for disabled people including families with disabled children. The Government will set out its position when this assessment is complete.

Bulb Energy: Insolvency

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what comparative assessment he has made of the accuracy of the estimate by (a) Octopus Energy and (b) the Office for Budget Responsibility of the cost to the public purse of the administration of Bulb Energy.

Graham Stuart: The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) figure has been forecast in accordance with usual processes. The OBR’s figures are a snapshot of Government’s potential financial exposure as per modelling undertaken in September 2022. They do not include the entity’s repayments of wholesale costs at the price cap, which may be more or less than the gross wholesale energy costs and are not an estimate of the likely net costs to the taxpayer from Bulb. Costs will continue to fluctuate, driven by market volatility meaning any published figures remain uncertain.

National Grid: East of England

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether National Grid has consulted Wattisham Air Base on the East Anglia GREEN project.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether National Grid has consulted with Wattisham Air Base on the potential operational implications for that air base of East Anglia GREEN proposals and how those implication might be mitigated.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether National Grid has consulted his Department on the potential impact of the East Anglia GREEN proposals on operations at Wattisham Air Base.

Graham Stuart: Consulting on East Anglia Green is a matter for National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET). The Ministry of Defence is a Statutory Consultee under the Planning Act, and the Government understands that NGET are engaging with RAF Wattisham on any potential impacts of the project on Wattisham Air Base.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: Manufacturing Industries

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reasons the manufacture of spirits was not included in the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Graham Stuart: The Government has taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for ETII support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes. These thresholds were set to balance the UK's goals of delivering targeted support at lower overall cost, while capturing a broad enough share of affected companies.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: Manufacturing Industries

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to include the manufacture of spirits in the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Graham Stuart: There are currently no plans to review the list of Energy and Trade Intensive Industries eligible for support under the Energy Bill Discount Scheme. The Government has taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme and  Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the impact of the (a) Energy Bills Discount Scheme and (b) Energy Bill Relief Scheme on support for pubs.

Graham Stuart: The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers including pubs. A Treasury-led review into the operation of the current Energy Bill Relief Schemes was conducted with the objective of significantly reducing the overall burden on public finances, and ensuring support is targeted at those most in need and unable to adjust to recent energy price rises. The Government recognises these are difficult times for pubs, therefore, alongside the continued support with energy bills, the Government is also cutting business rates by 75% as well as a six-month extension to the alcohol duty freeze.

Aquind: Electricity Interconnectors

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which Minister is responsible for the Aquind Interconnector.

Graham Stuart: The AQUIND Interconnector Project is a development proposed by Aquind Limited, a private limited company. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is responsible for the redetermination of the application for development consent for the Aquind Interconnector.

Energy Charter Treaty

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of a potential joint EU exit from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: The UK has been a strong advocate for Energy Charter Treaty modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties.

Energy: Disability

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he plans to take to help tackle the impact of increases in energy costs on disabled people when developing his Department's approach to consumer protection.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to engage with (a) disabled people and (b) disability charities when developing his Department’s approach to consumer protection.

Graham Stuart: The Autumn Statement set out a commitment to work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach to consumer protection, including options such as social tariffs, as part of wider retail market reforms. The Government is assessing evidence and options and proactively discussing this with stakeholders. As part of this work, the Government is engaging with organisations that represent disabled people and considering the energy costs of disabled people and those with in-home medical equipment.

Energy: Meters

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect vulnerable consumers from forcible connection to pre-payment energy meters.

Graham Stuart: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to Ofgem to ask that it does more to ensure suppliers protect vulnerable consumers. This includes revisiting the approach to enforcing supplier compliance. He has also written to suppliers insisting they revise their practices and improve their actions to support vulnerable households, to make sure prepayment meters being installed is a genuine last resort.All suppliers have agreed to cease forced installation of prepayment meters and remote switching of smart meters to prepayment mode until 31 March 2023.

Lighting: Energy

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact on energy supplies of the permanent lighting of (a) advertising boards, (b) luxury car showrooms, (c) high street shops and (d) office buildings.

Graham Stuart: The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. It is confident in its plans to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios. The Government’s new energy demand reduction commitment, announced as part of the 2022 Autumn Statement, aims to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 against 2021 levels.

Energy: Payment Methods

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of tasking Ofgem to consider the issue of higher costs that customers incur when paying by methods other than direct debit.

Graham Stuart: Ofgem rules currently state that the difference in price between payment methods for energy must reflect the cost to the supplier of that method. On 21 February, Ofgem published a Call for Evidence on a package of work focused on prepayment meters, including looking at all energy payment methods to see whether there is a case for levelling them. Responses are requested by 7 March.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the number of people claiming Employment Support Allowance who are no longer eligible for the Warm Homes Discount following the changes to eligibility in 2022; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changing the criteria on people who are no longer eligible.

Graham Stuart: As households previously applied through their suppliers, who set their own application processes and eligibility criteria and selected successful applicants each year, the Government has not been able to assess how many households in receipt of Employment Support Allowance are no longer eligible. The Government has expanded the scheme this year, providing £150 rebates to low-income and vulnerable households. The Government published impact assessments alongside the consultation and the final policy, which compared the option for reforming the scheme in England and Wales to continuing the previous scheme. These can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/warm-home-discount-better-targeted-support-from-2022.

Microgeneration: Certification

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme on creating and maintaining professional standards in the energy microgeneration sector.

Graham Stuart: The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is an independent certification scheme which creates robust standards against which installers and products are certified by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited Certification Bodies. Those standards are also designed to align with international and European Union standards where appropriate. MCS standards are updated and improved over time, and amendments to these standards are discussed with the Department before being implemented.

Energy: Terminal Illnesses

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department is providing to families of children with life-limiting illnesses for energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The Government is delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme and the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) to support all families with their energy bills.Households using alternative fuels will also be entitled to a £200 Alternative Fuel Payment. In addition to the Energy Affordability schemes, families with children with life-limiting illnesses are also entitled to a one-off £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.As set out in the Autumn Statement, the Government is developing a new approach to consumer protection in energy markets, which will apply from April 2024 onwards including options such as social tariffs, as part of wider retail market reforms.

Energy: Hospices

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the hospice sector on the impact of rising energy bills on UK hospices.

Graham Stuart: Discussions have taken place with a number of charities and businesses regarding increased energy costs and the Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the hospice sector. This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been introduced, shielding eligible non-domestic customers from soaring energy prices. Following an Treasury-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non- domestic customers, including the hospice sector.

Energy: Meters

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households experienced forced installations of prepayment meters by (a) warrant and (b) remote switching in 2022; and if he will publish a breakdown of those figures by constituency.

Graham Stuart: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Newport East on 9th November 2022 to Question 75843 for Ofgem’s most recent data. Smart meter data includes households that have requested switching to prepayment mode. This data is not available at constituency level.

Housing: Energy

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes had energy efficiency measures installed in (a) 2010 and (b) 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Department estimates that 114,200 homes had measures installed through Government funded schemes in 2022. All measures under the following schemes are included in this total: Energy Company Obligation, Green Homes Grant Vouchers, Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery, Homes Upgrade Grant, Renewable Heat Incentive, Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. This total will include a small amount of double counting of households that received measures through multiple schemes. Prior to 2013, the Government support for energy efficiency measures was provided via the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and Community Energy Saving Programme. More information can be found here and here.

Wind Power

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many onshore wind farms have been developed in England since 2015.

Graham Stuart: Since 2015 around 10 onshore wind projects totalling 30 MW have been consented for development in England, of which 3 are now operational.

Energy: Prices

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rise in the Energy Price Guarantee in April 2023 on levels of fuel poverty.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rise in the Energy Price Guarantee in April 2023 on disabled people.

Graham Stuart: As announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement, from 1 April the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) ‘target bill’ in GB will be £3000 per year, up from £2500. HM Treasury analysis that accompanied the Autumn Statement can be found here, with analysis on page 13 showing that, both as a percentage of net income and in cash terms, the EPG and Cost of Living payments provide greater support to those households at the bottom end of the distribution than at the top:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1118360/Impact_on_households_-_AS22.pdf. A Public Sector Equality Duty analysis of the policy has been carried out in the usual way.

Housing: Insulation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help increase the rate of installation of home insulation measures.

Graham Stuart: The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this parliament on decarbonising heat and energy efficiency measures. An additional £6 billion of new Government funding was announced in the Autumn Statement available from 2025 to 2028. This provides long-term funding certainty, supporting the growth of supply chains, and ensuring we can scale up our delivery over time. A zero-rate of VAT was introduced in 2022 for five years on energy efficiency measures, making it cheaper for people to invest in their properties and reduce their energy use.

Carbon Emissions: Local Government

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the role of local government in contributing towards meeting the Government's net zero targets.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises that local authorities can, and do, play an essential role in driving local climate action, with significant influence in many of the national priorities across energy, housing, and transport, which will be needed to achieve net zero. The Net Zero Strategy sets out the Government’s commitments to enable local areas to deliver net zero.

Energy Charter Treaty

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of proposals for a coordinated withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: The UK has been a strong advocate for Energy Charter Treaty modernisation. At the Energy Charter Conference on 22 November, the decision to adopt the modernised Treaty was postponed. The UK has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the Energy Charter Treaty’s modernisation process, including the positions taken by other Contracting Parties.

Energy: Prices

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that energy standing charges do not increase.

Graham Stuart: The standing charge is a fixed charge that suppliers pass on to their customers to cover the cost of providing a live supply and decisions about standing charges are a commercial matter for energy suppliers subject to the maximum permitted under the price cap. One component of the standing charge cost relates to transmission and distribution charges, which have increased due to the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) levy. The Government, together with Ofgem, is looking at reforms to ensure the energy market is more resilient.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Scotland

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of supply through the Mossmorran plant on energy (a) costs and (b) security for consumers of liquid petroleum gas in Scotland.

Graham Stuart: Department officials work closely with industry to monitor Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply. The operators inform us that in January of this year, Mossmoran supplied similar volumes of LPG for inland sales compared to January 2022. Supply market costs are normally based on a traded price index for LPG. Commercial reporting suggests that, unusually, the wholesale price per therm for LPG has been lower than that for natural gas since September 2021, which has caused some restructuring of the market. The UK’s supply of LPG remains robust, and is met by refinery production, gas processing plants and by imported cargoes.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Scotland

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Liquid Gas UK and (b) producers on the level of supply of liquid petroleum gas supplied through Mossmorran to Scottish consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: Department officials have been working closely with Liquid Gas UK and the main supply companies to monitor the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply position in Scotland and encourage all parties in the supply chain to take steps to mitigate any risks to the security of supply. From these discussions, I am pleased to understand the supply position remains stable. Mossmoran continues to be a reliable supply point for LPG, which will ensure households and businesses in Scotland continue to have sufficient supplies of LPG this winter.

Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Hospices

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the original Energy Bill Relief Scheme for hospices.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will come to an end as planned on 31st March 2023. The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April 2023 until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount on energy bills to eligible non-domestic customers including hospices.

Cabinet Office

Royal Mail Group: Vesa Equity Investment

Ian Lavery: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason his Department allowed Vesa Equity to increase its stake in Royal Mail group.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Secretary of State takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government so that the Secretary of State may make decisions based on the evidence. It would not be appropriate to comment on the detail of national security assessments.

Public Sector: Procurement

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to increase the proportion of public procurement spending that goes to small and medium enterprises; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the single buyer agreement for public sector food on those businesses.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether it is his policy for the Buying Better Foods framework to encourage SMES into the market; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to take steps to increase public procurement spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the single buyer agreement for public sector food on levels of spend with SMEs.

Alex Burghart: We are increasing opportunities for SMEs in a variety of ways - from transparently publishing contract pipelines to simplifying bidding processes. The new procurement regime this Conservative government is putting in place with our new freedoms outside the European Union will create a simpler and significantly more transparent system that will further open up public procurement to SMEs so that they can compete for and win more public contracts.The latest procurement figures for 2020/21 show that £19.3bn was paid to SMEs to help deliver vital public services. This figure is an increase of £3.7bn on the previous year and the highest since a Conservative led Government began recording the amount spent on SMEs in 2013, something not done under the last Labour government.SMEs in the food supply chain have been consulted as part of supplier engagement activities for the proposed Buying Better Foods framework. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the framework agreement. SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector.Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order. This is in addition to the SME’s already supplying the Wholesale market. This agreement will further support SMEs as KPIs will be established within the procurement evaluation to establish and monitor SME participation with action plans for growth; giving more data and transparency within the sector.

Public Duty Costs Allowance

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require that (a) former Prime Ministers must have served a minimum of 12 months in post before becoming eligible for the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA), (b) the PDCA can only be claimed for 10 years and (c) claims for the PDCA are published.

Jeremy Quin: The Public Duty Costs Allowance was introduced to assist former Prime Ministers who are still active in public life. It has operated under successive administrations and continues to support Prime Ministers who formed previous governments.It is not a form of salary; payments are made only to reimburse actual administrative costs incurred in the fulfilment of public duties. Generally, these costs can include managing an office (staffing, payroll and administration); handling correspondence as a former Prime Minister; and support with visits and similar activities.The allowance has an annual limit of £115,000, which has remained frozen since 2011. The amount received by each claimant is published annually in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts.The Government keeps the allowance under review.

Local Resilience Forums

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of placing Local Resilience Forums on a statutory footing.

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of placing Local Resilience Forums on a statutory footing.

Jeremy Quin: The Government considered the status of Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) as part of the Post Implementation Review of the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) published in 2022.Evidence collected through a public consultation, dedicated engagement with stakeholders and lessons from recent emergencies did not demonstrate a clear need for making LRFs a legal entity.Legal status could conflict with the duties placed on Categorised responders (such as emergency services, local authorities and utilities) and undermine the existing arrangement set out in the Act.The review recognised the need to strengthen Local Resilience Forums in England and committed in the UK Government Resilience Framework to working across three key pillars of reform - Leadership, Accountability, and Integration of resilience into the UK’s levelling up mission.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate has he made of the number of people who have died as a result of reactions to the covid-19 vaccine in each month since December 2020.

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been recorded as dying due to complications caused by covid-19 vaccines in each month since December 2020.

Justin Madders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths have been recorded by the coronial system as relating to complications caused by the covid vaccine in each month since December 2020.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 17 February is attached. UKSA Response to 147055 (pdf, 175.5KB)

Civil Servants: Pay

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of increasing the pay of civil servants.

Jeremy Quin: Pay for grades below the Senior Civil Service is delegated to departments. Pay awards are made by individual departments, in consideration of their own priorities and affordability, and discussed with their trade unions.The pay remit guidance is a cost control document and allows departments to seek further flexibility for a pay award above the headline range for pay awards, as demonstrated by pay deals in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Ministry of Justice in previous years.It is important that pay awards for civil servants are affordable, as well as fair to both staff and the taxpayer. The pay remit guidance considers economic conditions while balancing the need for sustainable public finances. The 2023/24 guidance will be published this year.

Members and Ministers: Conflict of Interests

Fleur Anderson: To ask Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what recent steps the Government is taking to prevent potential conflicts of interest that may result from Ministers and MPs being on the boards of private energy companies.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the Hon. Member to the Ministerial Code (Section 7 and Annex B) which can be found on gov.uk.The conduct and interests of Members of Parliament who are not Ministers is a matter for the House, not the Government.

List of Ministerial Responsibilities

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to update the list of Ministerial responsibilities following recent machinery of government changes.

Jeremy Quin: Following a recent machinery of government change, a revised List of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published in due course. The current list can be found on GOV.UK at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilities

Public Sector: Procurement

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an impact assessment setting out the potential impact of the creation of a single buyer agreement for the public sector on the competitive landscape of the wholesale market for SMEs.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Buying Better Foods framework on the participation of SMEs in that sector.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of adding the terms and conditions set out in the Buying Better Foods agreement to existing public sector food frameworks such as TUCO and ESPO.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an assessment of the potential impact of the creation of single buyer agreement for public sector food on the competitive landscape of the wholesale market, including for SMEs.

Alex Burghart: SMEs in the food supply chain were consulted as part of supplier engagement activities. Feedback from these activities shaped the procurement strategy for the proposed framework agreement.SME producers will have increased opportunities to work with the public sector. Customers will be able to request nominated local products (subject to the local supplier/producer meeting the minimum technical standards). These products would be consolidated into a single delivery with their food order.Many other Public Buying Organisations (PBOs) offer food and or drink commercial solutions, to the public sector which is not managed by CCS as a central government organisation. CCS consulted with a number of PBO’s as part of their food strategy development.CCS’ initial proposed commercial solution value will have a headroom to accommodate £100 million worth of spend over the 4 year agreement period. This equates to less than 5% of the £2.1 billion public sector food spend.

Public Sector: Food

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the creation of a single buyer agreement for public sector food.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the creation of a single buyer agreement for public sector food.

Alex Burghart: Crown Commercial Service (CCS), representing the Cabinet Office, Defra and its Ministers have worked closely together throughout the development of the proposed agreement.Defra approached CCS in 2019 to consider the concept of developing a commercial strategy and procurement solution for food produce, specifically a holistic approach to the ordering, fulfilment, consolidation and delivery of food produce to customers.CCS have been working alongside Defra to design a commercial solution, and Defra will be responsible for establishing the updated Government Buying Standards for Food. CCS and Defra continue to work closely together on this issue.

Treasury

Taxation: Fines

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February to Question 135480 on Taxation: Fines, how many penalties issued by HM Revenue and Customs recorded on the National Penalty Processing System for unpaid tax amounted to (a) less than £1,000, (b) £1,000 to £9,999, (c) £10,000 to £99,999, (d) £100,000 to £999,999 and (e) £1,000,000 or above in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: I refer the Hon Member to UIN 139294.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

Ben Everitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will keep the Energy Business Discount Scheme under regular review to ensure it provides (a) support for businesses and (b) medium to long-term certainty on support so that businesses are able to plan ahead.

James Cartlidge: The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) will provide all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users across the UK with a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024, following the end of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme. It will also provide businesses in sectors with particularly high levels of energy use and trade intensity with a higher level of support. Through the current scheme, the Government provided an unprecedented package of support for non-domestic users through this winter. The Government has been clear that such levels of support, unprecedented in its nature and huge scale, were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow businesses to adapt. The new EBDS provides long term certainty for businesses and reflects how the scale of the challenge has changed since September last year. This will help those locked into contracts signed before recent substantial falls in the wholesale price manage their costs and provide others with reassurance against the risk of prices rising again. In the longer-term, Energy Intensive Industries (EII) will continue to be supported by the Government’s EII exemption and compensation schemes. In April 2022 the Government extended the compensation scheme for a further 3 years and more than doubled its budget. On Thursday 23 February, the Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch announced further measures (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-action-to-supercharge-competitiveness-in-key-british-industries-and-grow-economy) to bring the energy costs of the UK’s energy intensive industries in line with those charged across the world’s major economies. This is crucial to helping these businesses remain internationally competitive and will enhance the UK’s attractiveness as a destination for international investment as well as remove barriers to move us further towards greener technology as part of a sustainable net zero future. We will continue to closely monitor energy prices in the coming months.

Treasury: Photography

Matt Western: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many photographers were employed by the Treasury to accompany the Prime Minister while he was in post as Chancellor of the Exchequer; and what was the cost of their salary to his Department.

James Cartlidge: Photographs of the Chancellor were taken by members of the Communications team alongside other duties, as is common across Government Departments. These photographs were then used to communicate Departmental policy aims.

Energy Bills Rebate

Alex Norris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential merits of providing payments through the Energy Bills Support Scheme (a) after and (b) before the application of VAT.

Victoria Atkins: Whether VAT applies to the payment made under the Energy Bills Support Scheme is determined by VAT legislation. Under the Scheme, the government is paying £400 of the domestic customer’s energy bills. Payments made under the scheme into the customers energy account are regarded as third-party payments from the government. Energy suppliers are required to account for VAT at the reduced rate of five percent under the normal rules, as the payment is made for a taxable supply of energy. There are no plans to review the VAT legislation.

Health: Products

Amy Callaghan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to (a) remove and (b) reduce VAT on essential healthcare products.

Victoria Atkins: VAT rules do not distinguish between supplies on the basis of whether they might be considered essential. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the twenty per cent standard rate applies across a very broad range of goods and services. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these are strictly limited by legal and fiscal considerations. One such exception is that medicines on the NHS prescription list are zero-rated for VAT when dispensed by a pharmacist. Removing or reducing VAT on a broad range of healthcare products would likely come at a significant cost to the Exchequer, and with no guarantee that it would reduce the cost to consumers of the products themselves. While all taxes are kept under review, the Government has no current plans to make changes here.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Matt Western: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  what estimate his Department has made of the number of non-UK passport holder seasonal workers employed in fruit picking in the UK in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022.

Matt Western: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of non-UK passport holders employed in hospitality in the UK in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) 2022.

Victoria Atkins: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on the passports held by individuals.

Hospitality Industry: VAT

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment on the potential merits of reducing the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses.

Victoria Atkins: The previous VAT relief for tourism and hospitality cost over £8 billion. Reintroducing it would come at a significant further cost, reducing the money available to help fund key spending priorities, including important public services, such as the NHS, education and defence. The Government has been clear that this was a temporary measure designed to support the cash flow and viability of sectors that have been severely affected by COVID-19. At Autumn Statement 2022, the Government announced an increased 75 per cent relief for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business for 2023-24. This is a tax cut worth over £2 billion for around 230,000 businesses, to support the high street and protect small shops. Business rates relief is a devolved policy area and the Welsh Government is responsible for business rates policy in Wales. Barnett consequential funding for any reliefs will be provided to the Devolved Administrations. While there are no plans to reduce the rate of VAT paid by hospitality businesses, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Asylum: Hotels

Julian Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether hotels that have an agreement with the Home Office to provide accommodation to asylum seekers are (a) exempt from business rates and (b) entitled to special VAT status.

Victoria Atkins: Hotels are eligible for the 75 per cent business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure properties (RHL), up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business for 2023-24. This is a tax cut worth over £2 billion for around 230,000 RHL businesses, to support the high street and protect small shops. This is part of a package of tax cuts worth £13.6 billion over the next five years, including a freeze in the multiplier, an exchequer funded transitional relief scheme, and targeted support for small businesses. Hotels that have an agreement with the Home Office to provide accommodation to asylum seekers do not have any special VAT status and normal rules apply.

Arts: Tax Allowances

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the report entitled Creative Industry Tax Reliefs Evaluation, published on 17 November 2022, whether his Department plans to commission a similar evaluation on Cultural Tax Reliefs.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC has a programme for evaluating tax reliefs and has published criteria which are used to decide which reliefs should be evaluated. Against these criteria, cultural reliefs have not been assessed as being a priority. HMRC published research on the museum and gallery exhibition tax relief in 2022. Cultural reliefs will be reconsidered for evaluation in future.

Post Offices: ICT

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to subpostmasters who have received compensation following the failure of the Post Office Horizon IT system, if he will make an estimate of the total amount of tax he expects to be due on that compensation.

Victoria Atkins: The Government wants to see all victims affected by the Post Office Horizon IT scandal compensated fairly and swiftly. We will continue to work across Government and with the Post Office to ensure the postmasters get the full compensation they deserve and that payments and associated taxes are fair and proportionate.

Banks: Charities and Parish Councils

David Warburton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Financial Services and Markets Bill on (a) the quality of services provided by banks to parish and town councils and to local charities and (b) the ability of parish and town councils and local charities to change their bank signatories.

Andrew Griffith: There are no specific provisions related to the provision of banking services to local councils and charities in the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Nevertheless, the Treasury recognises the challenges some charities and community organisations have been facing accessing and managing banking services. That’s why the previous Economic Secretary hosted a roundtable event last year, bringing together lenders and representatives from bodies representing these organisations to discuss this important issue. Lenders heard firsthand the problems many charities and community groups have experienced, and also used this opportunity to set out the products they offer, and the diverse range of factors charities and community groups need to consider in relation to banking requirements. Banking and finance industry group UK Finance is now working with banks and sector representatives to identify any changes banks can make to simplify processes like changing signatories on accounts, and to produce guidance aimed at helping charities and community groups access and understand banking

Blackmore Bond: Insolvency

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a judge-led inquiry on the Financial Conduct Authority's handling of Blackmore Bonds plc.

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme to all those affected by the collapse of the Blackmore Bond plc.

Andrew Griffith: The Government considers it is important that there are appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure the financial services regulators are accountable for all aspects of their performance. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for ensuring consumer protection for a broad range of financial services products and HM Treasury works closely with the FCA to maintain a strong and safe financial system. However, the FCA does not have power to investigate a firm that is unauthorised and not carrying out any regulated activities. Blackmore Bond Plc was not authorised by the FCA and the sale of the ‘mini-bond’ product it offered was not an activity regulated by the FCA. The Government therefore has no plans to establish a judge-led inquiry into the FCA’s handling of the collapse of Blackmore Bond plc.

Public Houses: Cost of Living

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support (a) pubs and (b) breweries with increases in the cost of living.

James Cartlidge: On 19 December, the Government announced a six-month extension of the current alcohol duty freeze to 1 August 2023. Beer duty is now at its lowest level in real terms since the 1990s. Through the alcohol duty reforms, which will be introduced on 1 August this year, pubs and breweries will benefit from a new Draught Relief, providing a duty discount for draught products under 8.5% ABV sold in pubs. Small to medium sized producers will also benefit from an improved Small Producer Relief, building on the existing Small Brewers Relief which the sector has benefitted from for over 20 years. Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will receive a tax cut worth over £2 billion in 2023-24. Eligible properties will receive 75% off their business rates bill, up to a cap of £110,000 per business. Through the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, all eligible businesses will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024. The Government provided an unprecedented package of support through this winter, and we have been clear that such levels of support were time-limited and intended as a bridge to allow businesses to adapt.

Cost of Living: Ethnic Groups

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the cost of living on ethnic minorities in the UK.

John Glen: The government understands that people are worried about the cost of living challenges ahead. That’s why the government has announced support worth £26 billion for 2023-24, designed to target the most vulnerable households. The Treasury carefully considers the equality impacts of the individual measures announced at fiscal events on those sharing protected characteristics, including gender, ethnicity and disability – in line with both its legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and its strong commitment to equality issues. The government is committed to promoting economic growth and supporting all individuals and communities to achieve their full potential

Car Allowances

Afzal Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2022 to Question 82307 on Car Allowances, if his Department will publish the findings of the most recent quarterly review of advisory fuel rates.

James Cartlidge: The Advisory Fuel Rates (AFRs) apply when an employer reimburses an employee for business travel in a company car, or when an employee reimburses their employer for the cost of fuel used for private travel. The AFRs are reviewed every quarter and reflect average miles per gallon (MPG) for vehicle types (calculated from manufacturers’ information, taking into account annual sales to businesses), combined with the latest petrol and diesel prices. AFRs were last reviewed and updated on 1 December 2022 and the detail of current rates can be found on the Gov.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advisory-fuel-rates AFRs are not mandatory, and employers and employees can agree to use different rates to reflect scenarios in which a car is more fuel efficient or where the fuel cost per mile of business travel is higher. Where an employer pays a rate higher than the published AFRs, no tax charge will arise if the employee is able to demonstrate there is no profit element. AFRs are next due to be reviewed by HMRC on 1 March 2023.

Car Allowances: Public Sector

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will increase mileage rates for public sector workers using their own vehicles for work.

James Cartlidge: Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. AMAPs are intended to create administrative simplicity and certainty by using an average rate, which reflects vehicle running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Fuel is therefore only one component. As an average, it will necessarily be more suitable for some drivers than others. This may vary across sector. The AMAP rate is advisory and employers can choose to pay more or less than the advisory rate. It is therefore ultimately up to employers, including public sector organisations, to determine the rate at which they reimburse their employees. Employees who receive less than the AMAP rate can claim tax relief on the difference. Employees who receive more will be taxed on the difference. Like all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps the AMAP rate under review.

Immigration

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to encourage high net worth individuals to immigrate.

James Cartlidge: The Government is clear that any future visa route to facilitate investment-based migration must not offer entry solely on the basis of the applicant’s personal wealth. Following the closure of the Tier 1 Investor visa in February 2022, the Home Office will be making reforms to the Innovator route, part of the new points-based immigration system, to provide an ambitious investment route which works more effectively in support of the UK’s economy.

Children: Visual Impairment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what targeted support his Department is providing to families with a child with a vision impairment.

John Glen: Children under 16 with a disability such as a vision impairment may qualify for Disability Living Allowance for Children (DLA) if they meet certain conditions. Families can access DLA regardless of income. At the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that benefits including DLA will be uprated by 10.1% in April this year, protecting the value of awards for the thousands of DLA recipients with vision impairments. From April 2023, those on the highest rate of DLA will see their award increased from £156.9 a week to £172.75 a week. Children who are 16 or older and who have a vision impairment can make an application for Personal Independent Payment (PIP); a non-means tested benefit to help with the extra costs associated with their health condition or disability. Families who are in receipt of benefits such as DLA or PIP may be eligible for one-off Disability Cost of Living Payments. At Autumn Statement, the Government announced that it will provide a further payment of £150 in 2023/24 to people in receipt of extra-costs disability benefits. This is additional to the £150 payment for recipients of disability benefits in 2022 already announced as part of the Cost of Living package in May.For children with a vision impairment who are educated in special schools, funding comes from the Local Authorities’ high needs budgets. High needs funding will be rising to £10.1 billion in 2023-24 - an increase of over 50% from the 2019-20 allocations.

EURATOM and Horizon Europe: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to reallocate the £1.6bn of funding allocated to Horizon and Euratom association for the financial year 2022-2023.

James Cartlidge: The Government is committed to ensuring the UK is a Science Superpower. This is why, despite the challenging fiscal circumstances, the Chancellor recommitted at Autumn Statement 2022 to increase R&D spending to £20 billion in 24/25, a 30% cash increase from 2021/22 (the largest ever increase over a Spending Review period). At Spending Review 2021, the Government set aside funding for the cost of associating to EU R&D programmes (Horizon, Euratom Research & Training and Fusion 4 Energy, and Copernicus), which was agreed with the EU in the December 2020 Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Unfortunately, the EU has delayed the formalisation of the UK’s association due to the Northern Ireland Protocol. Our priority has been to support the UK R&D sector during this period of uncertainty. To mitigate EU delays, we have introduced the Horizon Guarantee as well as £684m of additional support for the R&D, fusion and Earth observation sectors. The UK remains open to association to Horizon based on fair and reasonable terms and that the UK will only pay for the period of association to a programme. Any funding required for association in future years will be made available when there is clarity on UK association to EU programmes.

Post Office: Bank Services

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Post Office banking deposit limits for business customers.

Andrew Griffith: The government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK and that access to deposit facilities is an important factor in supporting the continued acceptance of cash. In 2020, the National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing noted an increase in the abuse of cash-related services, such as cash deposit services, in Post Offices. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and banking sector have since been working to address these vulnerabilities. As part of this, banks are implementing a range of enhanced financial crime controls for cash deposits made at the Post Office. Throughout, the FCA has discussed with banks the importance of considering the impact of the changes they are making on customers. The rollout of these financial controls is still at an early stage and the FCA is continuing to work with the Post Office and the banking sector to ensure that the financial controls strike an appropriate balance between dynamically combating illicit finance, and helping to maintain appropriate access to cash deposit services for legitimate customers.

Financial Inclusion Commission

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) membership, (b) terms of reference and (c) minutes of meetings of the Financial Inclusion Policy Committee.

Andrew Griffith: Since March 2018, the Government has convened the Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, bringing together senior stakeholders to promote collaboration and provide the leadership needed to tackle financial exclusion. The forum’s membership includes leaders from industry, the third sector, and consumer groups, as well as representation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and government. The forum seeks to ensure that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services. A summary of each forum meeting is published on the government website and can be accessed using the following link - Summary of Financial Inclusion Policy Forum meetings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). I convened the most recent forum on 14 February at the Money Advice Trust (MAT) which included discussion of affordable credit and accessibility in financial services. A summary of the meeting will be published in due course.

Insurance

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with insurance providers on taking steps to ensure that they meet the requirements set out in the Financial Conduct Authoritypolicy statement entitled Increasing transparency and engagement at renewal in general insurance markets – feedback on CP15/41 and final rules and guidance, published in August 2016, reference PS16/21.

Andrew Griffith: Treasury ministers frequently meet representatives of insurance providers, where topics of conversation include increasing transparency and engagement around insurance policy renewals. The Government welcomes progress in this area, including the more recent rules in the Financial Conduct Authority’s policy statement 21/5 which require that firms offer a renewal price that is no greater than the equivalent new business price for a new customer, as well as providing customers with a range of options to stop their policy from auto-renewing. When the Financial Conduct Authority becomes aware of individual firm failings it follows up with those firms appropriately. It does not have evidence to suggest widespread non-compliance with these rules.

Credit Unions: Regulation

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prudential Regulation Authority’s Consultation Paper, CP7/22, entitled Credit Unions: Changes to the Regulatory Regime, published in September 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of those amendments and their impact on credit unions financial services; and whether his Department has had discussions with the Prudential Regulation Authority on the reason for not producing a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed changes.

Andrew Griffith: Both the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are independent, non-governmental bodies responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including credit unions. Although the Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of credit unions, it has strictly limited powers in relation to the PRA and the FCA’s decision making processes, including any proposed changes as part of their sectoral consultation work. As part of this legal framework, the regulators are obligated to provide a cost benefit analysis and an estimate of those costs and benefits if reasonable.

Companies: Finance

Simon Jupp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of trends in the level of corporate (a) borrowing and (b) saving in each sector of the economy in the latest period for which data is available.

Andrew Griffith: The Government considers a variety of factors to understand the health of the UK corporate sector and inform economic analysis and policymaking. This includes monitoring official data, internal economic modelling and regular engagement with firms and business groups.As part of this, HM Treasury monitors aggregate and sectoral trends in corporate lending and deposits, including via the use of Bank of England data.The Government will continue to monitor trends in corporate saving and borrowing to inform policy making and its assessment of corporate health.

Banks: Taxation

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the bank corporation tax surcharge to 35 per cent.

Andrew Griffith: According to recent reports by UK Finance, the UK banking sector currently employs close to half a million people, with almost two thirds outside London, and contributes nearly £39 billion in tax revenue. The Government believes that a much higher combined rate of tax on banks’ profits would significantly worsen the UK’s competitive position relative to other major financial centres, putting jobs and Exchequer revenue at risk.

Apprentices: Family Benefits

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to allow the families of young apprentices to continue to access (a) child benefit, (b) child tax credits and (c) child support allowance for at least the first year of their apprenticeship.

John Glen: Both Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit are payable for children until 31 August following their 16th birthday without any education or training conditions. Thereafter, payment is conditional upon the young person either: being in full-time, non-advanced education – which is education up to A-level or equivalent, orundertaking a course of approved training that is not provided under a contract of employment. This means that for young people undertaking a paid apprenticeship, where they are normally paid a wage, neither Child Benefit nor Child Tax Credit are payable in respect of them. Where a young person moves into a waged apprenticeship, this progression marks the point at which they begin to become independent from their parents or guardians and the Government’s view is that payments for the young person as a dependent should cease from this point.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

VisitBritain: India

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many VisitBritain staff are based in India.

Julia Lopez: There are six VisitBritain staff based in India. They are located in the High Commission Offices in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Video Games: Staff

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants and schemes exist to help video games developers train their staff.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grants and incentive schemes exist to help video games studios start-up and grow their businesses.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what programmes and grants exist to support innovation in UK games studios.

Julia Lopez: As part of a wider package to support the growth of the creative industries, the Government is committed to supporting the UK’s video game sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has committed to an £8 million expansion of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) (2022-25). The UKGF provides grants to support new intellectual property (IP) and talent development in the UK games sector. Its Tranzfuser programme supports graduates across the UK to develop valuable business skills. Games companies making interactive narrative games can access the International Business Development strand of the £21 million UK Global Screen Fund which provides financial support for business strategies that drive growth, as well as intellectual property support.In addition, DCMS is delivering a £17.5 million Create Growth Programme which supports high-growth creative businesses, including games companies, to access finance across six regions in England outside of London to reach their growth potential.The Government is also investing over £100 million to support innovation in the creative industries. This includes the £75.6 million Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in RealTime (CoSTAR) programme to build a new national R&D infrastructure for the screen industries and the £30 million Creative Catalyst Programme to fund small and micro creative businesses to innovate.The Government will set out interventions to support skills and workforce development in the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision. The Government is building a skills system that is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. This includes supporting more people to complete an apprenticeship, including the Level 7 game programmer standard, or a Higher Technical Qualification, rolling out more T Levels, and establishing our network of 21 Institutes of Technology. We are also expanding our Skills Bootcamps in 2024 and are considering how games and other creative sectors can best make use of these.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Recruitment

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.

David T C  Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has spent nothing on recruitment consultants in the last three years.

Attorney General

Economic Crime: Prosecutions

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to ensure the effective prosecution of fraud and economic crime.

Michael Tomlinson: We continue to work closely with the SFO and CPS to identify any policy changes that could support their work. This is why we sought the introduction of a provision in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill to extend the SFO’s pre-investigation powers under section 2A of the Criminal Justice Act 1987. The CPS published its first ever Economic Crime Strategy in March 2021 to focus its efforts in tackling the economic crime threat. The Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID) ensures that the CPS has the resilience, expertise and flexibility in its staff and organisational structure to best respond to new and changing areas of complex crime. The CPS and SFO continue to deliver real success in the fight against economic crime. This financial year alone, the SFO has brought seven cases to trial involving criminality valued at above £500 million. Five of these trials have already concluded, and each case resulted in guilty pleas or convictions. The SFO prosecution of Glencore saw the company pay a record fine of £280 million for its actions. In the year ending September 2022 the CPS prosecuted 6,381 defendants, where Fraud and Forgery was the principal offence, and the conviction rate was 83.4%. The CPS Fraud and Forgery charge rate was at 79% in Q2 22/23, 5 percentage points higher than the previous quarter.